Won't Give Up
by Kinsler5
Summary: Being Yakumo's wife was a lot harder than Haruka thought...
1. Waiting

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Hello, everyone! It's me, a big PDY fan. I love this anime/manga so so much. It's one of my absolute favorite and it got me sad to see that there is so few fanfic stories for this wonderful anime. That's why I felt inspired to write (type) this. I know this seems like a one-shot, but it's not. I'm planning to make it several chapters long and there's actually going to be a plot. So yeah..._

_I've been waiting for chapter 27 to come out for the manga, does anyone know if it's out already?_

_Anyways, please enjoy chapter one of this story! Reviews and suggestions are gladly appreciated. I'll try to update soon!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 1 – Waiting**

Haruka waited patiently for Yakumo to come home. It was already past midnight which made her a bit anxious and nervous. She sat in front of the table, twitching her fingers, with only a dim light coming from a nearby lamp. The small room was quiet and the only thing could be heard was the sound of the wind rustling against the window.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she hugged herself with her arms. She looked at her phone which laid flat on the table. There were no calls, no texts messages, no voice mails from Yakumo. Haruka sighed before she sank herself on the chair. She couldn't help, but wonder if he's okay or if he was having trouble with the case he had with Gotou-san. He had told her that he would be home in time for dinner and that was the reason why Haruka had even bothered preparing it. She had made something extra delicious thinking Yakumo would be home in time for dinner.

Things apparently didn't work out that way and it was really no surprise to her. She was getting used to it already. Yakumo usually spent all day with Gotou, investigating and uncovering new crimes that involved the supernatural. There was never a day they rested even though Yakumo loved sleeping and being lazy. Then, for some reason, they always ended accepting the most dangerous and frightening cases.

If she wasn't so busy during the day, she might actually be willing to help them, but she couldn't. Her day was packed and busy with tons of things to do. Since she was a teacher, she had to wake up early in the morning to go to the school she taught in. Taking care of a class full of kids was no easy task, but Haruka enjoyed it. She loved how every single student would keep their eyes focused on her as she taught and she loved the way they would ask questions when they didn't understand. She loved taking them to playground where they played till their hearts were content. There was plenty of work to do after all that as well. She would have papers to grade and meetings to attend with the other teachers. Everything was pretty exhausting.

Haruka sighed again before she checked the time in her watch again. It was getting really late and there was still no sign of Yakumo. If Yakumo had a normal job, Haruka probably wouldn't be as worried as she was. She would love to be with him in those moments just like before, but ever since she and Yakumo got married, he never allowed her to accompany him during cases. No matter how much she would insist, Yakumo wouldn't let her, proclaiming that it was for safety and security. He would tell her that he didn't want her risking her life.

It was flattering to see Yakumo care about her so much. Haruka never imagined the day she would get married with the man she loved. In fact, Haruka never imagined herself getting married at all. She didn't have qualities of a wife at all. She hardly knew how to cook. She always tended to burn the food or to not cook it thoroughly enough. Last time she almost made Yakumo choke because she had forgotten to take the bones out of the fish. Then she wasn't too good at cleaning and doing chores around the house. She would always constantly break things which would annoy Yakumo since that meant that they would have to rebuy it.

Now that she thought about, she wasn't the ideal wife at all. She was clumsy and extremely careless at times. Despite all that, Yakumo kept her by his side. He chose her to spend the rest of his days with and Haruka was really glad about that. There were so many beautiful women out there he could have chosen, but he chose her.

Haruka remembered the special moments she and Yakumo had spent together. They went through so many cases together. They helped so many people with their lives and helped so many souls find their long desired peace. Things were so incredible between them, but as time went by, as they spent more time together, she began to realize her feelings toward him. She knew that she loved him, but she remained silent and didn't bother telling anyone. Haruka thought that her feelings would never be corresponded and that Yakumo would only see her as a friend.

Things changed, though. When Ishii declared his love toward her and asked her to be his girlfriend, Yakumo stopped her from accepting him. She had asked him why, wondering what the problem could be. Yakumo wasn't very clear with his words and had trouble explaining his feelings. Eventually, he ended up pulling her into a an embrace and whispering in her ear that he was in love her. Then, he tenderly kissed her on the lips.

Haruka felt herself blushing as she thought about her first kiss with Yakumo. She laid her cheek on the table as she stared at the white wall that was in front of her. There was no doubt that Yakumo was the perfect guy for her. She was so lucky that she had ended up marrying a wonderful guy like him. Even though he was pretty cold and emotionless at times, he was still amazing.

Her wedding had also been amazing. It wasn't anything fancy just something small enough for them and the family. Haruka had a great time and she had been super excited to change her last name from Ozawa to Saitou. From that moment on, she became Haruka Saitou. Sighing again, Haruka closed her eyes. As soon as the wedding was over, Yakumo took her to a wonderful hotel spa where they enjoyed their first night together. The entire time, Haruka thought everything was a dream and she was afraid to wake up. Of course, everything was reality.

Everything was different now, though. Even though she and Yakumo were married, they hardly had time to spend time with each other. In fact, they hardly even saw each other. Haruka had to leave early in the morning and Yakumo, being the deep sleeper he was, won't wake up to anything so early. Haruka spent her day at her school while Yakumo would spend his day with Gotou in the investigation headquarters. Every now and then, he would send her a text, but that was it. Nothing more.

Was it okay for her to start feeling insecure and afraid? Haruka knew that Yakumo would never do something as cheat on her, but still, it wouldn't hurt to say that he loved every now and then. She was usually the one that was always lovey dovey and the one that would encourage him to spend some time together. She knew Yakumo had trouble expressing his feelings and she really wanted to change that.

Haruka was starting to fall asleep, her mind floating around in memory lane when she suddenly heard jingly keys turning the door knob. She perked up when she heard the door opening. Sitting still, Haruka happily watched as Yakumo entered the apartment. She stood up from her chair and greeted him with a smile. "Yakumo. You're finally home."

Yakumo turned to look at her a bit surprised, not expecting to see her there. He walked over to her before looking around the dim apartment. "What are you doing still up? I didn't expect to see you still awake. Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I do, but I wanted to wait for you." Haruka walked over to him, feeling her pajama robe trail behind her. She implanted a kiss on his cheek before she started soothing his soft hair. "You came home really late today. I was worried about you. Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

He smiled at her before he placed his hand over her head like the way he always did. He patted her head gently as if he was trying to ease her worries. "Everything is fine. The case is closed. That's why I took so long to get home. Sorry for making you worry."

Haruka shook her head while she pulled him into a tight hug. She squeezed her small arms around his body tightly as if she never wanted to let go. "It's okay. Your home safe now. That's all that matters."

They stayed that way for awhile before Yakumo gently pulled away. He stretched his hands in the air before he let out a long yawn. He looked really tired and Haruka understood why. The cases were tough for Yakumo or for anyone. They could physically and mentally wear anyone down. Haruka watched as Yakumo started heading toward the bedroom, practically dragging his feet. "So," Haruka began, catching his attention. "You're not going to eat, are you? If you're hungry, I could heat up some food for you."

"It's okay. I already ate." He turned back to look at her before he continued walking out the living room. Haruka sighed since she realized that all the food she had worked so hard to make had kind of gone to waste. "Anyways, I'm gonna take a shower. You should go to bed. It's pretty late for you."

Haruka nodded even though Yakumo didn't turn back to look at her. She followed him into the bedroom, but she walked toward the bed while he headed toward the bathroom. She undid the sheets and laid herself on top of the bed. Of course, Haruka wouldn't be able to sleep until she had Yakumo laying by her side. So, Haruka remained awake, staring up at the ceiling. She could hear the water running from the bathroom and she counted the seconds it took Yakumo to come out of the shower. She wanted to feel him next to her already.

Several minutes passed until he finally came out of the shower, shirtless and with a towel over his shoulders. Haruka sat up on the bed and watched Yakumo with a dreamy eyes as he dried his hair. When he noticed that she was still awake, he sat down the edge of the bed next to her feet. He continued to dry his hair, but stopped when he spoke to her. "How was work for you today?"

"It was great." Haruka told him with excitement since he had actually bothered to start a conversation. "Things are going to get a bit busy since next week since we're going to have Meet the Teacher Night. I'm really excited about it. I can't wait to meet the parents."

"Really?" Yakumo stated as he looked at her. Even though the room was dim, since the only light that came in was from the window, Haruka could see Yakumo's beautiful red eye. That was definitely one of Yakumo's beautiful features. "Sounds kind of boring to me."

"Well, it's not. It's going to be fun. I can't wait." Haruka pouted at him as she clapped her hands together. "If you like, maybe you can join me. It would be really cool if I had my wonderful husband by my side. So what do say? Do you want to join me? Maybe you can help me out or something."

Yakumo smiled as he shook his head. "If nothing comes up, I'll go. I can't promise you anything, though." He turned to look at her before he squinted his eyes at her. "Why do you want me to go, though? Wouldn't it be weird for a teacher to have her husband there?"

"Why do I want you there?" Haruka repeated as she felt a small blush coming on. "I want to show you off, of course. I want to show everyone the wonderful husband I have. I want everyone to be jealous of me."

"You're such an idiot sometimes." Yakumo told her, but in a sweet and teasing manner. He got on top of the bed and on top of her, making her lean back. He had her in between his knees while he looked down at her from above. He caressed her cheeks which made her close her eyes in delight. Her heart started pounding loudly, making her think that it would jump right out of her chest. "You're such an airhead."

Haruka opened her eyes to see Yakumo's face getting closer to her. Then he gently pressed his lips against hers. It took Haruka a minute to comprehend what was going on since her face was beyond flustered. She quickly kissed him back as she placed her small hands on top of his bare chest. She wished they could stay that way forever, but Yakumo eventually pulled off and sat down next to her. He motioned her to lay down and she did exactly so.

Now that she had Yakumo by her side, she could go to sleep with a peaceful mind.

…


	2. To Become

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Ahh, I finally updated! Makes me really happy! I'm also glad to see that people like this story. It gives me the inspiration to continue. I couldn't update until I had a good grasp at what direction the story was going to go to. I just love PDY so much. *Sigh*_

_Anyways, I would like to thank all the people that have read, reviewed, followed, favorited this story. A million thanks! Also, sorry for any grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

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**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 2 – To Become**

It had been a tough day at work and Haruka couldn't be happier that the day was over. She was walking from the bus stop, dragging her feet toward her apartment. She couldn't really complain since she was the one that had chosen that career. Being a teacher was really wonderful, but somethings the kids were feisty and hyper. They had given her a headache because they simply weren't listening to her. No matter what she said, nothing would calm her overactive class that day.

Haruka sighed as she placed her hand on her neck, trying to rub away some of the pain. She just wanted to get home and lay herself to sleep. Lately, she had been lacking sleep because of Yakumo. He would always come home late, keeping her up all night to wait for him. Sometimes Yakumo wouldn't come home at all. None of that was new, though. She had to get used to the idea that Yakumo couldn't be with her all the time.

Once she finally reached the apartment building, Haruka headed inside toward the elevator. She pressed the button and waited for a minute or so until the doors flew opened. She stepped inside before she pressed the button that would take her to the third floor. Letting out a yawn, Haruka leaned her head against the wall as she felt the elevator move. She stretched her hands out a little to let herself find some relaxation.

Haruka walked toward her apartment when she finally reached the third floor. She walked lazily until she stood in front of her door. She pulled out the keys from her purse and slowly opened the door. She was expecting to find an empty lonely apartment, but instead she received a small surprise. Not only did she see Yakumo sitting on the sofa, but she also saw Gotou and Ishii standing around. Haruka blinked several times as they all turned to look at her. She really hadn't expected to see them at all.

"Oh. Hello, everyone. What's going on?" Haruka questioned them, giving them a smile while closing the door. She gave Yakumo a glance, but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes had gone back to some papers he had in his hands. Haruka sighed and tried not to let it bother her. "Why's everyone gathered here? Did something happen?"

"In case you forgot, this is my house, too." Yakumo quickly told her without looking at her. He kept on reading and flipping through the papers without any real interest. "We can gather around here if we want to."

Haruka pouted and was about to say something back, but Gotou interrupted her. "Hey, Yakumo," He told him with a smirk as he pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket. He shook it gently, pulling one out. "Keep treating Haruka-chan like that and she just might end up leaving you."

"You mean like your wife?" Yakumo said to him in a passive voice. They were obviously joking around, but it still made Haruka feel uncomfortable. "Also, you better not even think about lighting that cigarette. I don't want you smoking in my house."

"Heh." Gotou smirked a bit wider as he snapped his cigarette in half. He crossed his hands and gave Yakumo a glare. "You know my wife and I got back together so stop bringing that up." He turned to look at Haruka with a sympathetic look on his face before he pointed at Yakumo. "How do you put up with this guy?"

Haruka didn't answer his question, but let out a small laugh instead. She had already noticed that Yakumo didn't act all rude and serious all the time. When it was just the two of them, Yakumo tended to be much kinder and showed her his emotions. He had never once held her hand or kissed her in public especially when he was in front of Gotou. He always acted indifferent toward her when he was in front of him. Haruka didn't exactly understand why that was. She kind of wish he acted like a normal husband around her all the time.

"Hello, Haruka-chan." Ishii suddenly said to her as a small faint blush appeared in his face. He began to play around with his fingers nervously while giving her a quick peek. "So how have you been doing? It's been awhile since I last saw you, hasn't it?" He flew his hand to the back of head, letting out a small shaky laugh. "It's good seeing you again, though. I thought – "

"What are you doing here so earlier anyways?" Yakumo suddenly said to her, interrupting Ishii in the middle of his sentence. He threw the papers on a small table that was in front of him before looking up at her with stern eyes. "Don't you always stay late working?"

"In case you forgot, this is my house too." Haruka told him sarcastically, spatting his own words toward him. She gave out a small huff before she headed to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator only to find it with little to no food. She sighed with grief and decided to pull out a cold bottle water she had left in the morning. She carefully untwisted the cap before continuing. "There's nothing wrong with coming home earlier. I didn't feel like staying over there, so I brought I decided to grade papers here. Is that so wrong?"

Yakumo didn't say anything, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. She looked at him triumphantly since she had put him in place for once. After putting her purse on the counter, Haruka walked over to Gotou and Ishii. "It's good seeing you too, Ishii-san." Haruka finally replied to him. She really hadn't seen him in a very long time. Ever since her wedding, he always seemed to avoid her and she really couldn't blame him since she had rejected him. "I'm doing just fine. Thanks for asking."

"So when is the baby coming?" Gotou asked her with a grin on his face. He leaned himself against a chair while he looked at her attentively. "I can't wait to see little Yakumos and little Harukas running around."

Haruka suddenly choked on the water she was drinking. She looked up at Gotou with panic written all over her face. That was a topic she still hadn't talked to Yakumo about. She never brought it up because it was just too embarrassing for her. "Gotou-san! What are you saying?!" Haruka nervously looked over to Yakumo, but his face had no expression. "It's still too early to talk about that! I mean, there's just no time for something like that right now! We're fine just the way we are!"

She could feel herself blushing which only caused Gotou to laugh out loud. Haruka pouted while she took another sip of her water. "Oh, really?" Gotou said walking toward her, placing his hand in his shoulder. He spoke to her while looking at Yakumo. "It looks to me that you can't wait to be a mother."

"If you have nothing better to say," Yakumo began, standing up from the sofa while picking up the papers he had thrown on the table. "Why don't you leave? I'll look at this tomorrow. I can't concentrate with your mouth running all the time."

Yakumo walked to Gotou and gave him the papers roughly. Gotou shook his head with frustration. "Geez, fine!" Before he walked toward the door, Gotou gave him a mischievous smirk. "I'll leave since it looks like you want to be alone with your wife."

Yakumo's silence made Haruka's heart skip a beat. She placed her water bottle on the table as she watched Gotou and Ishii leaving. They turned around to say good-bye before heading out the door. Once they were gone, the entire apartment was left in utter silence. Neither she or Yakumo said one word for the next minute to come. Breaking the silence, Haruka suddenly let out a loud sigh which caused Yakumo to look at her. "I'm sorry." She said to him a bit sheepishly. "I guess I kind of interrupted your work. I didn't mean to."

Haruka was about to walk toward the bedroom when she felt Yakumo grab her hand. His warm touch made Haruka blush a faint shade of pink. She looked at him to see a gentle smile that he reserved only for her. "Why are you apologizing for, you idiot?" He asked her, placing her hand to his lips to give it a tender kiss. He parted and looked at her straight in the eyes. "I'm glad you're home safe."

"Yakumo-kun." Haruka, since she just couldn't resist anymore, embraced him tightly in her arms. She squeezed him tightly as she leaned her head on his chest. Surprisingly enough, she slowly felt him hugging her back. "I'm glad you're home too. I don't have to stay up late worrying about you."

"You're such an idiot." He insulted her, but hugged her tighter as if he never wanted to let go. Haruka smiled to herself since everything in that moment seemed so perfect. He did let go though and then leaned closer to her to study her face. "What's wrong with you? You look tired."

Nodding, Haruka began to hit her shoulders lightly with her fist. "I am tired." She replied before she tried to pop her neck a little. "The kids were being really energetic today. I just couldn't seem to calm them down. It was horrible." Haruka sighed as she gave him a sweet smile. "But, it's okay now. I'm home and I can finally get some rest. I love my class, but they can be tiring sometimes."

Without a warning, Yakumo suddenly pushed her on the sofa while he climbed on top of her. He leaned his face closer to hers before he kissed her on the lips. Haruka, completely surprised, wondered why Yakumo was acting the way he was since it wasn't really like him. Either way, Haruka wasn't going to complain about it and decided to kiss him back. "Maybe I can help you relax?" He whispered in her ear, making her blush. He smirked before he looked down at her. "So is it true?"

"Is what true?" Haruka asked him as she felt her heart almost coming out of her chest. She and Yakumo had been married for a couple of months, but she still had childish reactions toward him. Every time he would get near her or he would say something nice, her heart would flutter like crazy and her face would get flustered. She wondered when she was going to act like a normal wife. "What are you talking about?"

"Is what Gotou said true?" He asked her directly while he sat up on the sofa, letting her sit up as well. "Is it true that you want to be mother?"

Haruka's eyes widen as she looked down at the floor with embarrassed. In that moment, she really wished that Gotou hadn't said anything about being parents. Now, Yakumo was asking her about it and she really wanted to avoid the topic. Haruka gulped and nervously bit her lip. "Well," Haruka began, her hands trembling a bit. "I would love for us to have a baby some day, but not right now. I don't think I'm ready to be a mother. I mean, I can barely take care of you."

He smiled at her and placed his hand over her head. He patted her as if he was trying to wash away her worries. "I think you take care of me just fine." His voice was so stern, but so gentle that it could almost make her melt. "It's clear to me that I chose the right woman."

"Really?!" Haruka exclaimed, looking at him with excited eyes. Could it be that for the first time he was complimenting her? She wished she had a camera to record it.

"I'm sure if you would have married any other guy they would have probably already dumped you." Yakumo suddenly said, popping her bubble of joy. "You can hardly cook. You have no cleaning skills and worst of all, you have no common sense."

Haruka was about to protest that he wasn't the perfect husband either when she saw him smiling to himself. "But I guess," He continued, avoiding her gaze. "That's what I like about you."

As she was trying to comprehend his words in her head, Haruka felt Yakumo place his arm around her neck. He pulled her toward him, closing his eyes in a peaceful manner. Haruka looked at him as she silently asserted to herself how much she loved him. Being there with him in such a manner almost felt like paradise. Yakumo leaned himself toward, whispering in her ear, "I'll be more than happy to be a dad."

The only thing Haruka could do was smile.

Of course, little did they know that the real problems were yet to come...

…


	3. Attention

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_It's been a while hasn't it? Please forgive me about that. I promise from this day forward I will try to update this once a week. I really love this anime/manga, but with the destruction of my laptop and with the pressure of my other stories, I haven't had a chance to update this particular story. So very sorry!_

_Anyways, I'll like to thank everyone that's taking the time to read my story! Makes me very happy! I hope this chapter meets your expectations and please excuse my grammatical errors!_

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**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 3 – Attention**

The grocery market was a lot more crowded than Haruka had expected. Every time she tried to get herself through the aisle, she had to push herself through the crowd of people. It was really quite frustrating, but then again, what did she expect the stores to be on a late Sunday afternoon, when everyone is trying to stock up on food for the week? Haruka sighed, wishing she had gone grocery shopping earlier.

Looking at the list in her hand, Haruka was close to just dropping everything and going home. In reality, she didn't like grocery shopping and she especially hated it when she was doing it alone. Whenever she looked around, she would spot happy families enjoying themselves with something as trivial as shopping. It really depressed her to think about it.

Haruka let out another sigh as she placed a carton of milk in her cart. There was nothing she could do about it. She knew Yakumo had irregular working hours, but still, there were times when she really missed him and she wanted to be with him. Why couldn't he take a day off or two?

She hated feeling those selfish feelings. She should really be grateful that Yakumo even chose to marry a girl like her in the first place. If she wasn't married to him, that probably would make her lonelier. She should be happy with the fact that she and Yakumo would be together forever.

Half an hour passed when Haruka was finally done with her grocery shopping. Sadly enough, despite her effort, she wasn't able to get everything on the list. Not only could she not cook properly, she couldn't even get the things on the list. What was wrong with her? Was she feeling that depressed?

Shaking those thoughts away, Haruka forced a small smile on her face as her hands carried the bag with food. She had to get it through her head that Yakumo loved her even if he didn't pay much attention to her. She had to believe in him and in herself. She had to think positive and try to enjoy her life as the wife of Yakumo Saitou. Then again, how could she when she had hardly seen Yakumo all week? He would always come home late and there were times that he didn't come home at all. Then, to make things worse, he wouldn't even call her to tell her that he was at least okay.

It had been like that all week. She would stay up late at night, waiting for him and wondering if he would even come home that day. She would wonder if he was okay or if he was in danger. Those thoughts would agonize her to no end. Haruka had trouble falling asleep knowing that there was an empty space next to her in the bed.

This was her life now. She was married to a wonderful person, she had a pretty good job, she lived in a decent home, and she had a peaceful life. The only problem was that she was feeling lonelier than ever.

Walking in a daze, Haruka was suddenly snapped from her thoughts when she felt cold raindrops falling on top of her. Before she knew it, the rain started falling pretty heavily. She quickly ran toward a near café to cover herself. She shook off some the rain from her hair and from her grocery bag. If she would have known that it was going to rain, she probably would have brought an umbrella. Haruka looked up at the cloudy sky and wondered when the rain was going to stop.

Haruka leaned against the wall as she looked at the people that were scurrying about. Gripping on the bag tightly, Haruka let out the millionth sigh that day. There were so many things she needed to do and now she was stuck there. She could easily just go home and let herself get soaking wet, but she didn't want to risk getting sick.

After waiting there for a couple of minutes, Haruka saw that the rain continued to pour down nonstop. Annoyed, she was about to pull out her cellphone when she noticed someone inside the café. Her eyes widen as her heart suddenly began to pound loudly. In that moment, she couldn't believe her luck.

Inside the café, sitting in a table close to the window, with papers scattered all over, Haruka spotted her husband, Yakumo, and Detective Gotou. A smile formed on her face, but it quickly dropped when she noticed that they were sitting with a very mature women; mature meaning very nicely developed and beautiful. Haruka gulped to herself as she wondered what they could be talking about.

She was tempted. She was tempted to march right in there and say hello to them. Seeing them sitting there like that, Haruka couldn't help but feel excluded about everything. She was sure that they were talking about a recent case, but still, she could be wrong. She wanted to go in so badly and sit next to Yakumo so the world could see that she was his wife.

Biting her lip, Haruka turned to look at them again. They seemed very serious and she could hardly tell if they were talking or not. Haruka looked back up at the sky and when she saw that the rain showed no signs of ceasing, she decided to go inside the café. She would just explain to Yakumo that everything was just coincidental and that she didn't want to be outside in the cold. Haruka grabbed the door handles nervously before opening the door and walking inside.

It was warm and the aroma of strong coffee immediately traveled to her nostrils. Taking another deep whiff, Haruka slowly began walking toward Yakumo's table. When she was finally a couple of feet away, they noticed her.

"Hey, Haruka-chan!" Gotou waved to her with a big goofy smile and for some reason, the intense atmosphere that they were having was broken by her presence. Haruka gave him a smile, but was shocked to see that Yakumo didn't even bother to look at her.

"Hello, Gotou-san." Haruka said a bit nervously when she finally stood in front of the table. She gave Yakumo a quick glance to see him cross his hands a bit disturbed. The woman that was with them took a sip of her drink. "How have you been doing? It's been a while hasn't it?"

Things were getting awkward fast and Haruka was slowly starting to regret everything. She should of just continued on waiting on outside. She had no idea what to say next and she was too embarrassed to even look at Yakumo. Should things be that way between a wife and a husband? Haruka didn't know, but in that moment, she felt like she was bothering him.

"I've been good. How about you?" Gotou asked her with that silly smile that he always gave her when he was planning something sneaky. It caused Haruka some amusement to see him carry an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"I've been doing okay." Haruka said even though it was kind of a lie. "Just finished doing some grocery shopping." Haruka told him with another small nervous smile as she showed him the bag. In that moment, she felt Yakumo's eyes land on her. Noticing that, Haruka hands began to tremble. "I was just on my way when it started raining."

Suddenly, Yakumo got up from his seat and stood right in front of her. They stood in silence and Haruka could feel a dry knot forming in her throat. It was unlikely that he was going to greet her with a smile and tell her to sit down. His face was too serious for something like that. Also, Haruka knew that Yakumo would never show her such kindness in public. He would never do something like kiss her or hug in front of people. They only time he ever did something like that was when they alone at home. Of course, lately, Yakumo was hardly home at all.

"Here." Yakumo suddenly said to her in a serious low tone. Haruka, confused at first, notice Yakumo was handing her an umbrella. "Take it and go home."

"Thanks." She replied as her hand reached out to grab it. For some reason, Yakumo's words seemed cold and a bit emotionless. Haruka really felt like she wasn't wanted there and that she wasn't needed. She could feel her heart getting heavy. Looking down in the floor, Haruka tried to hide her frustration. Was that really how he felt toward her? Was she that useless? "Are you coming home today?"

"I don't know." He quickly replied as he sat back down. He picked up some papers that were in front of him before he started reading them. "Go home before the weather gets worse."

"Why?" Even though it slipped from her mouth, Haruka truly wondered that. Why? Why couldn't she stay there with him? She knew that he was working, but was it so wrong for her to stay with him? She used to always help him out with cases in the past, so why couldn't she help him out now?

"Hey, Yakumo?" Gotou suddenly said, breaking the somewhat intensifying silence. None of that would have happened if Haruka had minded her own business. She really regretted being there. "We pretty much wrapped things up already. You should think about walking your wife home."

Haruka immediately looked at Yakumo to see his reaction and she was surprise to see his eyebrow twitch. She quickly looked down at floor, feeling her face flush bright red. "It's okay, Gotou-san." Haruka told them as she gripped the umbrella's handle tightly. "I can go by myself. It's not like I need him."

With that, Haruka said her good-byes before she headed out the door. She quickly opened the umbrella and started walking with a heavy heart. She felt so embarrassed about everything that had happened. She should have just mined her own business like she always did. Still, how could she resist? After hardly seeing Yakumo all week, Haruka had felt so happy and excited to suddenly find him like that in broad daylight.

Sighing to herself, Haruka suddenly felt a hand touch her shoulder. She gasped and turned around to find Yakumo standing right behind her under the cold rain. They stood in silence for a few seconds or so, staring into each other's eyes. Then, without saying a single word, Yakumo grabbed the umbrella for both of them.

"Yakumo-kun?" She said silently, her words drifting out into the cold air. For some reason, she could feel her heart pounding louder than usual. "What are you doing?"

"Well, we were practically finished already." Yakumo replied with a smirk before they both started walking down the empty sidewalk. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes or so since Haruka had no idea what to say to him. She kept looking at the cars that would pass by as a way to keep her gaze off him.

"I'm sorry, Yakumo-kun." Haruka suddenly whispered to him as they both stood in front of the traffic light. She bent her head down so that he wouldn't see her flustered face. "I didn't mean to interrupt you and Gotou-san. I did that last time too."

Yakumo didn't say anything, but Haruka could feel him staring at her intensely. "Weren't you the one that just said you didn't me?"

"What?" Haruka exclaimed, jerking up a little. "I didn't really mean it. I just said it because I was angry." She turned away since she didn't want to look at him in the eyes. "It was obvious that I wasn't wanted. All I wanted to do was say hello to both of you. I wanted to see with my own eyes that you've been doing okay. You hardly come home at all and you never bother calling me. Do you not know how much I worry about you? It frustrates me. You put me in a position where I feel absolutely useless."

Even though the walk signal had popped up, Yakumo and Haruka kept standing right in their spot. Everything that Haruka was keeping locked up in her heart was slowly starting to come out and she didn't like that one bit. She was acting so childish and immature that it made her feel pathetic. Why couldn't she just be happy with that fact that she was Yakumo's wife? Why couldn't she be content with that? Why did she always want more?

"The only reason you're walking me home is because Gotou-san told you." Haruka said, her words catching Yakumo by surprise. "Sometimes I wonder if things will always be this way. Sometimes I wonder if you even care."

Out of nowhere, Haruka felt Yakumo hit her playfully on the head. "You idiot. Where are you getting all this nonsense from? Do you have screw lose or something?"

Haruka tried to push his hand away, but he grabbed her wrist instead, forcing her to look up at him. "I'm not playing around, Yakumo-kun. I'm being serious." Haruka told him, but Yakumo's face expression didn't change. "You hardly pay attention to me anymore. You make me feel so lonely sometimes."

"So why didn't you say so before?" Yakumo asked her, rising up his eyebrow. "If you ask me to stay with you, I'll stay."

Under the umbrella, with the cold rain falling swiftly, and the wind blowing her hair gently, Haruka felt Yakumo's warm hand caress her cheeks. Her face immediately flushed as she slowly became hypnotized by his sweet scent. "Really? You'll stay with me?"

He nodded slowly as he placed his hand back in his pocket. "I don't want you to get involved with my work, Haruka. That's the only thing I ask from you. I don't want you to risk your life anymore. Do you understand?"

"I'll try." Haruka replied with a smile as she gave Yakumo a quick peck in the cheek. "You better not risk your life either. No matter what, please try to be careful. If something ever happened to you, I don't know what I'll do."

"It's okay. I'll be fine because," He began before patting her head the way he always did. "I have someone to return to."


	4. Twisting

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I know it took me forever to update and I want to apologize for that. This time it's for real, though. I promise to update whenever I have chance. I promise this time for sure to update more often.  
_

_Oh, right! Chapter 28 came out yesterday and I was totally freaking out with that small Haruka X Yakumo scene. It was so cute! It was one in the morning when I was reading it and I was really holding in my fan-girl squeal. Yes, I'm weird like that. It was a pretty good chapter, though. Can't wait to see what happens next!_

_Anyways, I would like to thank my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations. I'm sorry if it's boring, if the characters are OOC, or if you don't like it. I'm really trying my best. :)_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 4 - Twisting**

Exhausted and ready to call it a day, Haruka dropped her head on top of her desk as she stared at her empty classroom. The day was finally over and she was so glad that she could finally go home. For some reason, it had been such a rough day and, like always, the kids seemed more restless than ever. Haruka wondered if her students ever ran out of energy. Then again, maybe that was the great thing of being kid.

Haruka suddenly stood up and stretched her arms high in the air. She checked her watched and was happy to see that she still had some sunlight left. She could go home, start dinner, do the laundry and begin with her lesson plan for next week. She had to come up with some activities for her students, but as of late, the ideas just weren't flowing. Sighing, Haruka began to gather her papers that were scattered all over her desk.

A smile appeared in her face when her eyes came across the picture frame of her and Yakumo that she had standing on top of her desk. She slowly picked it up and stared it with dreamy eyes, the memories filling in. It was one of the only pictures they had together. She was standing next to Yakumo in her long white beautiful wedding dress, hugging his arm tightly while her face was flushed with happiness. That had been the best day of her life.

Putting down the picture frame, Haruka placed her papers inside a drawer before grabbing her bag. She looked around her classroom, proud that she was the teacher of many wonderful children. It was a tough job, but she loved teaching them. They were her inspiration and she looked forward to seeing them everyday.

She headed toward the door, content with herself that she was able to complete another day. Turning off the lights, Haruka slowly closed the door and started heading down the long hallway. It was empty and there was no one in sight. Of course, that wasn't surprising since she was usually always one of the last ones to leave. It didn't matter how late she would get home since there was no one there to wait for her.

Slapping herself mentally across the face, Haruka tried to get those negative thoughts out of her head. If she kept thinking like that, then she would end up entering her depressive stage again and start doubting Yakumo. She didn't want her worries taking over her body anymore. She didn't want to ruin things between them, especially now that they were finally starting to communicate their feelings more than ever before.

"Oh, Haruka-san." A voice suddenly said, startling her a bit. She looked around to find the Principal, Ichiro Takahashi, standing behind her. For some reason, he looked concerned about something. "Going home, I assume?"

"Yes, I am." Haruka responded politely. Every now and then, she would forget that he was her boss. "It's been a pretty rough day and I'm done with all of my work here." She paused as she gave the principal a serious look. She didn't know why he looked so worn out and tired, like if he was carrying something behind his back. "What about you, Sir? Are you heading home as well?"

"Please come to my office." The principal told her with a serious voice that kind of scared her. She wondered if she was in trouble or something. She wondered if she was going to get scolded for staying in school so late. "There's something I would like to discuss with you and it must be done in private. I don't want anyone hearing us."

Haruka gulped before she silently followed her boss to his office. Why did this have to happen? She was so ready to go home and just rest. What did the principal want with her anyways? Haruka suddenly threw herself in a panic at thought of seeing herself fired. Biting her lip, Haruka watched as the principal opened the door for her, letting her in first into his office.

Once they were inside, Haruka's eyes quickly began to scan the place, but found nothing suspicious. The room was small and quiet, but what really touched her was the picture he had hanging on his wall. Haruka could tell that it was a picture of the principal with his children, his happy family. Haruka smiled to herself as she imagined herself surrounded with her own children one day.

"I'm very sorry for bringing you here, Haruka-sensei." The principal sat in his chair, behind his desk and in front of his computer. He leaned his head on his hands, his face expressing nothing but anguish. "I really didn't mean to bother you especially with something that has nothing to do with work."

"Oh, no. It's okay." Haruka said to him, waving her hands back and forth a bit nervously. She slowly sat down in a nearby chair, sitting right in front of her boss. "If there's anything I can help you with, I'll be more than happy to do it. Besides, we're more than co-workers. We're all here to help each other out, right?"

The Principal smiled, but his smile was brief, quickly turning upside down. Haruka gave him a sympathetic look as she began to wonder what was wrong. It was true that she only saw the principal in meetings or in special occasions, but she had never seen so down. The agony that was written all over his face made him look older, his wrinkles more visible and his grey hair more noticeable.

"Are the rumors true?"

"Rumors?" Haruka repeated, not quite understanding what he was saying. She tilted her head before she scratching it. Was someone spreading bad rumors about her or something? Was she getting fired after all? "What rumors? I don't understand."

"Is it true that your husband is an exorcist?"

Haruka's body flinched at the principal's sudden question. A red flag was started to wave inside her mind, telling her to back away from the situation. She should have known. That simple question was enough for her to know that the Principal, her boss, was having problems with the supernatural. Haruka sighed as she placed her bag on top of her lap. What was she suppose to say now?

"Well, you see," Haruka began with some hesitation. She looked around the room while she tried to find the right words. "I wouldn't exactly say that Yakumo is an exorcist. He does deal with that sort of stuff, but his methods are different from that of an exorcist. He doesn't like exterminating spirits by force."

"Oh," The Principal's face lit up a little and that's when Haruka realized that maybe she had said too much. "So he does deal with ghosts, then?"

Haruka groaned silently under her breath. She didn't need this. She silently hoped that the principal wasn't going to throw Yakumo a case. He already seemed busy enough. He would scold at her if she brought home another case. "Yes, he does deal with ghosts, but he-"

"Do you think he come check my house, Haruka-sensei?" The Principal quickly asked her, interrupting her. He leaned forward, his palms laying flat on his desk and his eyes trembling with anxiety. "It's been two months already and I don't think I'll be able to take it any longer! Every night, at exactly 3:30 am, I can hear the ghost of my ex-wife walking around. I can hear her walking inside my room. I can feel her standing right in front of my bed and before I know it, my body is completely paralyzed. I can't move. I can hardly breath. It's like I'm being suffocated."

"Your wife died?" Haruka asked him, looking back at the picture he had hanging on his wall. It was sad to know that his children had been left without a mother. "When did it happen? When did she die?"

"She died a year ago, but she only started appearing until recently. I don't understand why. I don't understand why she's coming back to haunt me." He buried his face in hands and Haruka could hear him sobbing silently. "I loved her so much, so why is she haunting me? Does she hate me? Does she want me to suffer? I just don't understand. Why would she do something like this? Why?"

Haruka wanted to ask the Principal a million questions, but she knew that was none of her business. She restrained herself since the one that was suppose to handle the situation was Yakumo. She would never hear the end of it if she got involved. Besides, if there was one person that could understand a ghost's feelings, then it was Yakumo. He could understand and communicate with the souls of the dead.

As much as Haruka wanted to turn the principal down, she knew that she couldn't. She felt sorry for him and she wanted to help him even if she had to convince Yakumo. It wasn't going to be easy, but if she persuaded him enough and if she pulled the right strings, she could convince Yakumo to help her boss out.

Standing up, Haruka placed her hand on top of the Principal's shoulder, which caused him to lift his head up a little. She gave him a smile, hoping she would lift his morale. "Everything is going to be alright. I'll talk to Yakumo about this. I'm sure he'll be willing to help you out."

Tears of relief escaped from his eyes as he placed his hand on top of hers. He sniffed happily, a small smile appearing on his face. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you." He told her before he started wiping away his tears and trying to regain his serious composure. "I hope I'll be hearing from you soon."

"I think it's best if you sleep somewhere else for the meantime." Haruka told him with concern in her voice. "It's sounds dangerous to keep staying at your house."

"I can't do that." He told her, shaking his head back and forth. He took deep breaths while he leaned back in his chair with more relaxation. "My children are waiting for me. I don't want to tell them about this."

Haruka nodded before she silently said good-bye. She bowed politely and headed toward the door, her happy and cheery mood completely gone. She would have never imagined that the principal was going through something like that. She wondered why he had taken so long to say something. She wondered where in the world he had heard that Yakumo was an exorcist when it wasn't even true. Maybe he had heard it from the other teachers that Haruka associated with. She was always constantly bragging of all the cases she and Yakumo had gone through together.

Walking out the building, Haruka looked up at the sky to see the sun slowly setting in the background. Her peaceful evening was ruined. Thanks to the principal, she had more things in her mind then ever. How was she suppose to explain to Yakumo that she had indirectly accepted to help him out? Would he get mad at her? Of course, he would. He had told her more than once to keep away from the supernatural.

Haruka sighed as she slowly began to walk toward the bus stop. She stood there, looking down at the ground and waiting for her bus to come.

It was understandable. Haruka knew Yakumo wanted her to keep away from that stuff for her own good. He didn't want her having an encounter with that Man. That man that was still lurking about, probably trying to find a way to send Yakumo into despair. A chill ran down Haruka's spine as a gust of wind blew on her hair. It had been years since they had last seen him, but there was always a chance that he would come back. Haruka didn't even want to think about that possibility. She didn't want to imagine that Man trying to posses Yakumo's body again.

Several minutes passed when the bus finally drove by. Haruka got on, paid her fee, and tried to find a seat by the window, where she would be able to look out at the world. So many things had happened since she met Yakumo. They had been through so many things. They had overcome so many things to together that she had practically lost count. What could possibly happen with the small case the Principal had given her? After all, she and Yakumo had come across a lot more worse cases before.

When Haruka finally got home, to her apartment building, she went up to her floor and walked over to her door. She pulled out her keys and slowly opened the door. She walked inside her cozy little apartment before she stretched her hands again with exhaustion. She sighed loudly, ready to plop herself in bed for a little bit. She wasn't really in the mood to cook her nasty food or to do the laundry. She just wanted to rest her mind and forget everything that the Principal had told her.

"It's about time you get home." Haruka quickly took a step back, slamming the door a bit too loudly. She turned her head to find to find Yakumo sitting with his legs crossed in the sofa. For some reason, he didn't look too happy to see her.

"Yakumo-kun?" Haruka walked toward him before placing her bag down on the counter. She sat next to him on the sofa, but he didn't even bother to look at her. "What are you doing here so early? I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Weren't you the one that told me the other day that you wanted to spend more time together?" Yakumo asked her, closing his eyes with a sense of annoyance. "That's why I came early today. I wanted to see you."

"Yakumo-kun." Haruka said, a small smile forming on her face. She leaned her head on top of his chest and her face silently blushed when she felt Yakumo place his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "You really came home early for me?"

"Didn't I tell you already?" Yakumo sighed, but that only made Haruka snicker. "Are you deaf?"

This was the way things were suppose to be. Haruka didn't know what could possibly be better. She loved Yakumo. She loved Yakumo so much that it overwhelmed her and it sometimes made her think things she wasn't suppose to. She wished she could just stay that way forever. She wished Yakumo would one day admit to the world that she was his wife.

"What took you so long?" Yakumo suddenly asked her, snapping her from her thoughts. He started playing with her hair, which she was proudly starting to let grow. "You aren't cheating on me, right?"

"What?! Of course not! I would never do something like that." Haruka exclaimed, sitting up and shaking her hands back and forth exuberantly. She hated when he teased her like that. "That's not it at all."

Haruka stayed silent which caused Yakumo to stare at her suspiciously. She sighed a bit depressed since she felt obligated to tell Yakumo what the Principal had told her. "Yakumo-kun?" Haruka began with an unease voice. She bit her lip as she began to play around with her fingers. "Have you been busy lately?"

"I'm always busy if you haven't noticed." Yakumo stated quite calmly. He lifted her chin with his fingers so that she could look at him straight in eyes, showing her that he wasn't wearing his contact. "Why do you ask? What do you want now?"

"Well, you see, something happened at work today." Haruka began, which immediately got Yakumo's attention. He sat up straight, ready to hear whatever it was she was going to say. Haruka took a deep breath before she began. "The Principal, Takahashi-san, he called me into his office today. I had no idea what he wanted, but I still ended up following him."

"Did he do something to you?"

"No. Of course not." Haruka quickly responded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Anyways, he told me about his current situation. The ghost of his wife has been appearing and it's been tormenting him for weeks. He really wants you to do something about it, though. I was going to tell him no, but I just felt so sorry for him and I really wanted to help him out. He seemed so desperate and it seemed that he really wanted your help specifically."

"Sorry. I'm not going to do anything about it." Yakumo replied to her plead without even thinking it over. He stood up from the sofa and started walking toward the kitchen. "Tell him I said that."

"Why not?" She asked him with frustration. She knew that was going to happened, but deep inside her, she was kind of hoping he would accept to help the Principal out.

"Because I say so."

"That's not an answer!"

They stayed silent, staring at one another from afar. Haruka curled her small hands into fists, angry with herself for expecting a different outcome. "Why not?! I already told him that you would look into the matter and he's my boss. I want to help him out. Is that so wrong? Can't you at least hear him out? Nothing is going to happen if you hear him out. Please, Yakumo. Please?"

"You're so persistent and annoying somethings." Yakumo snapped her as he opened the refrigerator. "I already told you to stay out of these things."

"That's why I'm telling you." Haruka told him, crossing her hands before she rolled her eyes. "We used to always solve cases together. I don't understand why you oppose so much to the idea now. They're always the same. Nothing bad ever happened. We always made it through."

"Yeah, but back then I didn't know any better. I didn't know the danger I was making you go through." He stated, slamming the refrigerator's door shut. Then he walked toward her and stopped when he was only a couple of steps away. "Back then, I didn't know I loved you."

"Yakumo-kun."

"If you want me to take a look that badly, then I will. I'll check things out just because you asked me to." Yakumo told her, placing his hand on top of her hair. Then his fingers slowly slipped down to her cheeks. He caressed them gently, causing her face to flush a bright shade of red. "I can't guarantee anything, though."

"It's okay." Haruka replied with a smile, looking at Yakumo's beautiful red eye. "That's enough for me. Really. I can't thank you enough."

…


	5. Road Trip

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Did you think I had forgotten about this story? Never! I was just having some writer's block with this story, but I got it now. I finally know where this is heading and I must say, I am so excited. It's still a while till we get to the main climax, but now that I know where this is going, but chapters will come faster? Of course they will! Just watch me update tomorrow! Yay!_

_Well, thank you for being so __patient with me! Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, ect.! It makes me very happy! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

_P.S. Thanks Lilacia for pointing that mistake out me. Since I've been updating most of my stories these past few days, I guess I still had Soul Eater in mind. So very sorry! -_-_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 5 - Road Trip**

"Hey, Isshin-san, would you like some? I bought them this morning, but we had extras." Haruka told Isshi as she held the white bakery box toward him. She gave him a smile and she hoped she would take one. "They're really good. Just try one. I'm sure you'll like it. I wasn't so sure about them myself, but they're really good. Or is it that you're not fond of sweets?"

He shook his head as he got closer to her. He looked inside the box a bit curiously, his face looking a bit hesitant. "What are they?" He asked her, looking up at her. Haruka smiled at him as she adjusted herself in her seat. Unfortunately, she couldn't get too comfortable because of the seat belt. "They do look pretty good."

"They are good. They're cheesecake tarts." Haruka informed him as she watched him grab one. "It's a cheesecake cupcake size. Aren't they cute? I got them for a pretty good price this morning, but of course, I can't eat them all myself."

"What I don't understand is why you came along." Yakumo suddenly commented from the front seat. He didn't bother looking back at her, but Haruka could feel him staring at her through the mirror. "This isn't a field trip. Your not suppose to be enjoying yourself."

"I'm not enjoying myself." Haruka replied back, furrowing her eyebrows at him. She wanted to stick out her tongue at him since earlier before he had refused to sit in the backseat with her. She ended up sitting next to Isshi because of Yakumo's stubbornness. She didn't understand why he always acted like that in front of others. He was just so weird. "Besides, without me, you wouldn't know where the Principal lives. He specifically gave me his directions."

Yakumo sighed as he placed his hand on his head. Did she frustrated him that much? He turned to look at Gotou-san who was busy driving the car. "What about you? Why did you tag along? This was none of your concern."

"Believe it or not, Yakumo," Gotou stated with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "His wife, Midori Takahashi, her death was unnatural. Files say that it was suicide, but I don't think that's what really happened. She was found with a pistol in her hand and a suicide note, apparently she had been diagnosed with brain cancer that very same day. Still, her body also showed signs of abuse. Now that her ghost showed, maybe we'll find the truth to all of this. I still think it was murder."

Haruka got quiet, her happy mood quickly washing away. It was so sad to think that his wife had committed suicide. She had no idea that had happened until she talked to Gotou about it a few days ago. He remembered seeing the Principal's name under a certain case and that's when he asked her if he could also come along. In the end, the four of them ended up going to the principal's house to take a look around. That's how things were decided between all them.

Haruka looked down at the box in her hand to find it empty. All the sweets she had bought were gone. She turned to look at Isshi and was surprised to his mouth stuffed, crumbs scattered all over his clothes. She smiled quietly to herself as she looked at him. For some reason, being with Isshi always made her feel better. It was almost like his presence was enough to lighten up the atmosphere. Haruka placed the empty box next to her as she began to look for a napkin inside her purse.

"So, Isshi-san," Haruka said to him as she handed him the napkin. He slowly grabbed it and for some reason, Haruka noticed his hands trembling. Was he that scared to go to the Principal's house? "How are you Hijikata-san doing? I haven't seen her in a while. Is she doing okay? How is her new job at the paper going? I've heard she's pretty good at writing those reports."

"I wouldn't know, Haruka-chan." Isshi said to her as he shook off some of the crumbs from his clothes. He cleaned his mouth with the napkin as well before letting out a long sigh. "She broke up with me a couple of weeks ago. She hasn't talked to me since."

"What?" Haruka exclaimed a bit surprised. She couldn't believe it. They looked so perfect for each other and they seemed to really get along. They got along much better than she and Yakumo did. Haruka didn't think they would end their relationship so quickly. She really seemed to like him, so why would she break up with him? "Oh, Isshi-san. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I thought you were still with her."

"It's okay." He told her with some kindness in his voice. He gave her a brief smile before letting out another long sigh. "It was my fault anyways. I accidentally told her that I still had feelings for my unrequited love. I was so stupid. Why did I tell her something like that? Of course, she'd get mad. Anyone would, I guess."

"You idiot!" Gotou exclaimed, making the car severe too much to the right. "Why would you do something like that?! You're lucky I'm driving! I would go pound you right now! You're such an idiot!"

"I know! I know!" Isshi placed his hands over his ears so he wouldn't hear Gotou yelling at him anymore. "I told her I was sorry, but she doesn't listen me! Ah, I was so stupid! What was I thinking! I'm gonna end up as a single man for the rest of my life!"

Haruka stayed silent as she watched Gotou and Isshi bicker at one another. She wondered who Isshi was talking about and she hoped that he wasn't talking about her. She remembered so clearly the way she had rejected him to accept Yakumo. It was something Haruka didn't like to think about and it always made her heart feel heavy. Isshi was such a nice guy after all and he deserved to be happy. It was sad, though to hear that he had broken up with Mokoto. Just like him, she was a wonderful person.

"Anyways, what about you Haruka?" Isshi suddenly asked her with a smile getting a little too close to her. Haruka wondered where his sad mood had gone. "What's it like being a teacher? Is it fun? Is it hard?"

"Well," Haruka began, placing her hand on her chin as she thought about. She couldn't help but feel a little pride inside her. She was glad someone was actually interested in her job. Usually, whenever she said she was a teacher, people would give her sorry look. "I enjoy being teacher. It's fun to be surrounded with a whole bunch of children that look up to you. They do get a bit excited sometimes, but they're good kids. They always follow instructions and they always do what they're told. Such obedient children."

"She likes kids, Yakumo." Gotou commented, turning back to show her a slick smile. Haruka could feel herself blushing since she knew where he was headed. "She's gonna be a good mother one day, don't you think?" Yakumo didn't say anything. Instead, he turned over to look outside the window. Since Gotou was unable to get his attention, he turned back to look at her. "Don't you think you'll make a good mother?"

"That's not what we're talking about here, Gotou-san!" Haruka exclaimed as she turned away from him. She could feel her cheeks getting red which was enough to satisfy Gotou. It's like he lived to embarrass them. "We're talking about what it's like being a teacher! Being a mother had nothing to do with being a teacher!"

"But he's right, Haruka." Isshi suddenly said a bit quietly, but loud enough for them to hear. He covered his eyes with his hair, a bit embarrassed to look at her. "You would make a beautiful mother."

Could it be that she really was his unrequited love? Did he still like her even though she was already married? Haruka shook those thoughts from her mind and decided to act dense. "Oh, well, thank you, Isshi-san." Haruka said to him, scooting herself closer to the window. She hoped he didn't notice that. "That's really nice of you to say."

Everything went silent for the next seconds or so and the only thing that could be heard were the cars that were passing by them and loud crack of thunder. Then, to the surprise of all them, Yakumo broke the silence. "About that unrequited love of yours," He began, without bothering to look away from the window. "She's never going to like you back, so you might as well forget about her. If you don't, then you'll be facing some serious problems."

Isshi grew a bit scared as he began to nod like crazy. "Yeah, I mean, yes! I know! I will! I mean, I will forget about her! Of course, I will!"

Haruka tried her best to not roll her eyes. Did they consider her that stupid? She knew now that they were talking about her, but it made her happy to know that Yakumo had stuck up for her. It was the small things that always made Haruka feel so happy. With a small smile on her face, Haruka began to look out the window as well. She watched the dark clouds accumulating in the sky and pretty soon lighting started to show up as well.

It had been such a long time since she had gone on a case with Yakumo. She didn't know how she had convinced him to let her come along. She had figured that he was just going to visit the Principal in his office, not in his house. Either way, Haruka was glad he had let her come. She loved being with him and even though it was work, Haruka was glad she was able to spend her Saturday with Yakumo. Nothing beats the happiness of the wife than being with her adored husband.

"Hey, Haruka-chan?" Gotou suddenly cut another awkward moment of silence. "What street do I turn in?"

"Oh, right!" Haruka had forgotten that she had come along just to give them directions. Yakumo had told her to just give him the address, but of course, she refused, telling him that guys were no good with directions. Haruka grabbed the little paper from her purse and started telling Gotou what streets he should turn in. Pretty soon, after a couple of minutes of more driving, they finally arrived to their destination.

The house was huge and Maka couldn't help, but admire it. Everyone got out the car, but she remained inside, still in awe with the house. It was clearly two or three stories high and it had many big windows. It was a white color with old fashion looking style, but it was very beautiful. Haruka had never seen something like that. The gate had the Principal's last name engraved on it and the front yard was probably bigger than the school's parking lot. Haruka wondered how the Principal of the school could even afford to pay such a thing.

Without her realizing it, Yakumo opened the car door for her and she slowly got off. Of course, she was still in shock with the huge house. How in the world could the Principal ever afford such a big house? When Yakumo closed the car door, he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. "You shouldn't have come, Haruka."

"Why?" She quickly responded, snatching her arm away from him. "You can't keep locked up forever. We just came to check things out. Nothing bad is going to happen."

Haruka was about to walk toward Gotou and Isshi when Yakumo grabbed her arm again, stopping her from doing so. Haruka, a bit surprised by Yakumo's sudden attitude, looked up at him with more gentleness. His eyes looked so serious and so caring that Haruka became enchanted by them. "You better be careful. Something feels odd about this house."

"Really?" Haruka said with alarm as she watched Gotou and Isshi walk toward the gate. It wasn't long before they were suddenly greeted by a very pretty looking maid. Then, instead of grabbing her by the arm, Yakumo took her hand, making her face flush a little. "What's wrong, Yakumo? Do you see something? Do you see any ghost?"

"Yeah," He said, placing his hand over his eye. "I see lots of them."

…


	6. Exposure

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Lay__! I was able to update today! I couldn't stop thinking about this all night and even though I have school tomorrow, I kept my promise. I'll probably also update some other time this week, clearly before Friday. We'll see how it goes. I hope my teachers don't pile me with homework since I didn't have any for spring break. -_-_

_Anyways, a thanks to all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations! It might be a little boring and confusing, so I'm sorry about that. I really tried my best to make things as clear as possible. This chapter made me thank the Psychology class I took earlier this year. :)_

_P.s. If anyone ever wondered, the title of this story was inspired (more like taken) by the song I Won't Give Up by Jason Marz. It's one of my favorite songs..._

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 6 - Exposure **

It was strange, but Haruka wasn't going to protest. The maid opened the gate for them and with a smile, she took them inside the house. That wasn't what surprised Haruka, though. What really surprised Haruka was the fact that Yakumo didn't let go of her hand. He held it firm, intertwining his fingers with hers as they walked inside. Haruka tried to act natural, but Yakumo had never held her hand that way in front of Gotou or in front of others for that matter.

When she and the others stepped inside the house, Haruka was astonished by how nice it was inside as well. The entrance hall was beautiful, a wide expanding staircase in the center. There was a very elegant chandelier in the ceiling which gave the place more attractiveness. Haruka looked around with amazement before she noticed two more maids coming their way. They smiled at them as they waited for the principal to arrive.

Still, it was rather odd. How could the principal afford such a big house and even employ maids? Was his salary that good? Gulping slightly to herself, Haruka gave Yakumo's hand a squeeze. For some reason, she was starting to feel nervous and she was starting to regret her decision of coming along since it was obviously clear that this wasn't her sort of environment That's what she got for being nosy and selfish.

They waited there for a couple of more seconds when they finally noticed the principal descending down the stairs. He seemed happy to see them, but he also looked uncomfortable. He probably had only expected her and Yakumo to come. Then, two girls, around the ages of nine and seven, came running down the stairs behind him. Since they had a great a resemblance, Haruka figure they were his daughters.

"Ah, Haruka-chan. I'm terribly sorry for making you come all this way especially in such foul weather. I didn't even notice the sky get all cloudy until I heard the thunder. I'm sure it's going to be one nasty storm." He smiled kindly at them as he watched his giggling girls run in circles around him before going down the hallway. "You'll have to excuse them. They usually don't act like that way."

"It's alright." Haruka shook her head as she let go of Yakumo's hand. "Let me introduce you to my-my-my husband, Yakumo Saitou."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." Yakumo said quite politely, but without much feeling. He didn't sound too happy to be there and Haruka couldn't really blame him. She wondered what exactly he had seen earlier outside. They were suppose to be there because of the Principal's wife that had started appearing two months ago. It was only suppose to be her ghost, so why did Yakumo say there were more? What exactly was going on?

"This is Kazutoshi Gotou and Yuutarou Isshi. They're part of the detective agency?" Haruka said a bit unsure. She wondered if she was saying too much. "Anyways, they're also here to help."

"Ah, I see. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Ichiro Takahashi, Principal of Nakagawa Elementary School." He bowed a little, but his cheery voice suddenly became grave and serious, sounding almost desperate. "I'm very glad you all have come to help me. I cannot thank you enough. I hope we'll be able to get through this quickly. I promise the pay will be good."

Haruka looked at Yakumo who remained silent. She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what he was seeing. He seemed so focus on something, but Haruka didn't exactly now what. Then, Gotou's voice suddenly startled her, snapping her from her thoughts. "There some questions I gotta ask you if you don't mind."

"Oh, of course not. I don't mind at all." The Principal replied with another small smile on his face. "We can talk about this in the living room." He turned over to look at the maids. "Please prepare some tea for us along with some sweets and bring them over to the living room." He turned to look at them again, clasping his hands together. "Really, I cannot thank you enough especially you, Saitou-san. I hope your skills will be able to end my nightmare. I hope you'll be able to exorcise my wife's spirit so she can finally rest in peace."

Yakumo stared at him, but didn't bother to follow him toward the living room. "You're mistaken, Sir." He said stiffly, grabbing his attention. "I don't perform exorcisms. I don't agree in those sorts of methods. I can only talk to the souls of the dead. Of course, that doesn't change my purpose here. I'll do whatever I can to set this right."

"Oh, I'm so very glad to hear that." The Principal answered back with some hope. "Well, we should all go talk about this in the living room. I hope all of this is solved by tonight. I don't know how long I can put up with this or how long I can expose my daughters to this. I really want all this to end quickly. It's been two months already as you probably already know, but I don't want this to continue. It's really been tormenting me every night and I don't understand why it starting happening so suddenly."

Gotou and Isshi began to follow the Principal toward the living room, but Yakumo remained still. He didn't move and it wasn't long before he started going up the staircase. "If you don't mind, there's something I need to check out."

Haruka, surprised by Yakumo's sudden outburst, quickly apologized with her boss for Yakumo's rudeness before following him. She tried to catch up with him, but he was climbing up too fast and there were just too many steps. By the time they reached the top, Haruka was out of breath. Yakumo was already heading down the hallway when she grabbed him by his sleeve.

"Yakumo!" She exclaimed, getting his attention. "You can't just barge into someone's house like this. It's impolite. Even if you are here to investigate that doesn't give you any rights to start looking around without permission." She pulled him closer to her before she whispered in his ear. "If you haven't noticed already, he's my boss and I don't want to look bad in front of him. C'mon, let's go back downstairs. If we rush like this, things will only end up getting more complicated."

"She's calling for help." Yakumo suddenly said to her, giving her a serious look and making her body freeze up. "I can hear them. There's more than one."

"What do you mean by that?" Haruka asked him a bit frightened as she looked around the hallway. She could feel the air getting colder and more denser. There was definitely something strange in the atmosphere, but she couldn't see anything. "What do you mean there's more than one? You mean, his wife wasn't the only one that died here?"

"Stay close to me. It's safer here than down there." He told her, grabbing her hand again. They started walking down the hallway until they came to the last room. They stood in front of the doors before Yakumo slowly grabbed the handles. "It's in here. She and many others died in this room."

"What?" Haruka said with disbelief. She didn't understand what was going on. Was it a coincidence? Was it a coincidence that the Principal's wife had committed suicide in a room where others had been killed? Were the other killings recent or were they from a long time ago? The more Haruka thought about it, the more her head started to pound. Could it be that his wife's death wasn't suicide like Gotou had said? Did the Principal have something to do with it? "Are you going inside?"

He didn't answer her question and instead let go of her hand. He grabbed the handles of the door with both his hands before pulling them open. Haruka quickly closed her eyes since she expected to find a room full with blood and dead bodies. Of course, though, there was none of the sort. Yakumo turned on the lights and Haruka was surprised to see a nicely polished bedroom. There was a king size bed in the middle and very fancy furniture all around. In other words, the room looked extremely normal for the house.

"There's nothing here out of the ordinary Yakumo." Haruka told him, but then she realized that her comment had been kind of stupid. It was obvious she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Do you see something, Yakumo?"

"Yeah," Yakumo said, placing his hand over his eye as he glared at the window. His face suddenly became serious. "So it was him. I should have known."

"Him?" Haruka said with alarm, taking a step back. She looked at the window, but the only thing she saw was a flash of lightning. She walked toward Yakumo and grabbed his shirt sleeve again a bit worried. "What do you mean by that, Yakumo? Who was it? Don't tell me it was the Principal?"

"It was." Yakumo said seriously as he continued to stare at the window. "He murdered his own wife and it wasn't only her. It was a few others as well. He seemed to be having secret affairs with more than one woman."

"What?! That can't be! It doesn't make any sense!" Haruka suddenly exclaimed at him, tears swelling into her eyes. How could that be? He seemed like such a kind and gentle person. She just couldn't believe it. "Why would he do something like that? He doesn't seem like a murderer to me! He has two beautiful daughters that he seems to love very much and you should have seen the way he was talking about his wife the other day! He loved her, Yakumo! He told me very clearly that he didn't understand why she was haunting him since he loved her very much! He wouldn't murder her! He doesn't seem capable of doing something so monstrous."

"She wasn't his only victim." Yakumo said to her a bit bluntly, making her eyes widen a little. "A few other women have died in his hands. You can't tell me I'm wrong."

"It doesn't make sense to me, Yakumo!" Haruka grasped onto his shirt tighter. "If he was the one that killed them, why did he invite us over? Huh? Why would he expose himself in such a way? Wouldn't he think that you would find out the truth? Then when I told them that Gotou and Isshi were detectives, he didn't react in any way suspicious! He seemed calm and when you barged up the stairs he didn't try to stop you! In fact, he even told me that it was okay and to not worry about it! This doesn't make sense to me! Why is he acting like that if he's the one that murdered his wife? Why would he act so calm and normal if he's a criminal?"

Haruka was frustrated with herself as she leaned her head on top of Yakumo's chest. "He's my boss after all. It's hard to imagine him doing something so horrible, something so unhuman. Still, if he's the culprit, why did he invite you over? Why isn't he try to hide his crime? I don't understand. It's like he's giving himself away on purpose. If he's the one that killed his wife, why does he grieve about her death so much? It doesn't make any sense to me. It just doesn't"

"You're just like Gotou." Yakumo suddenly said to her, placing his hand over her head. He began to pat it gently, probably trying to comfort her. "He always puts his emotional feelings into cases and it never allows him to look at the reality of things. That's also part of the reason I don't like you to get involved in these sort of things. I don't want my wife to experience such feelings."

"Yakumo-kun," Haruka said, letting Yakumo's name slip out of her mouth. She tried to calm herself down as she looked up at him. He gave her a kind smile that filled her with warmness. "Why? Why did he do something like that to his wife? Why did he kill her and his other love affairs? Why does he still grieve over her death if he's the one that murdered her?"

"Apparently, he has what is known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, DID for short." Yakumo stated as he walked over to the window. He looked outside before small droplets of rain began to hit the glass. "This disorder creates another personality that's capable of controlling behavior. It causes the memory and other parts of the consciousness to be altered or blurred. He has more than one personality and he isn't aware of it because of DID. That's why he acts this way. He probably has no idea that he was one that caused his wife death and he probably has no idea that he has had other love affairs. All of that has probably been blocked from his memory. DID is the same as thing as Multi Personality Disorder and in some cases Schizophrenia is also involved."

"What?" Haruka said not sure if she was following along. She looked at Yakumo blankly before walking next to him. It was so sad to think that the Principal didn't know he had caused his own wife's death. Was that it even possible? It was too hard to believe that such a disorder could even exist. "How do you know, Yakumo? I don't see how that's possible."

"His wife knew about it, but she never said anything to him." Yakumo continued, ignoring her completely. "That's why there were signs of abuse in her body. They were probably made by one of the many unconscious personalities of Ichiro Takahashi. The fact that his wife was diagnosed with brain cancer probably caused him to snap and switch. I'm not really sure how it happens, but I just know that it did and he killed his wife that very day. After that, he went into a state of despair and that side of his personality forced himself to seek refuge in other women. He would toy with them for a while, but his desperation would get to him. It wasn't enough for him to fill the gap and it was out of the anger that he ended up killing them as well."

"How did anyone not find it suspicious?" Haruka continued as she watch Yakumo walk away from the window. It was just too much for her to absorb at once. Her brain didn't have the same intelligence capacity as Yakumo's. "How did people not notice those other girl's deaths? How was he able to cover the murders?"

"With money and corruption, but there are others that have helped him through all of this. These others are making sure he never notices and are making sure his memory doesn't trigger." Yakumo told her crossing his hands. "That's why his wife began to haunt him. She wants him to realize what he's doing. She wants to save him from himself before he continues on ruining other people's lives. She doesn't want him to drown in his own despair."

"So what if he just snaps right now?" Haruka asked a bit worriedly, holding her hands to her head. She was starting to stress out. If they remained there any longer, their lives could be in danger. "Yakumo, what are we going to do? We can't just leave things the way they are! We have to tell him the truth! His daughters are in danger living with a man like that! What causes him to switch personalities like that? If we mention it to him, would he remember? Would he break into tears if we told him that he was the one that killed his own wife?"

"I don't know. I'm not a psychologist." Yakumo told as he started walking toward the door. "I came here to liberate his wife's dead soul. The only way to do that is to tell Ichiro Takahashi the truth and to make him pay for his crimes. We have to find those other women bodies before it's too late. His wife wants to save him from himself, from his own despair."

Despair.

That was something Haruka could connect with Yakumo's father.

…


	7. Creation

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Well, it's Friday night and there's nothing scarier than sitting downstairs all alone with only a small lamp on. The only reason I'm not freaking out is because of the cheesy music I'm listening to in the background. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations. I'm sorry if it's a bit boring or confusing. I'm really trying my best here. :)_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 7 - Creation**

It was pouring outside, but that wasn't an obstacle for Yakumo. He headed down the stairs, a bit more quickly than before, and toward the door. Haruka tried her best catch up to him, but unfortunately, she wasn't be able to. She wondered if Yakumo had even noticed her following him.

"Hey, Yakumo," Haruka called out to him as he placed his hand on the door knob. When she finally reached the last step, he turned back to look at her. The entire situation was clearly leaving her out of breath. "Where are you going? Don't you see it's raining cats and dogs out there? If you go outside in this weather, than you're only going to get sick later. Why don't you wait until the storm lightens up a bit? We need to tell Gotou-san and Isshi-san about this! They're still with the Principal. What if something happens to them?"

"You really are a scatterbrain." He insulted her, but Haruka was already used to it. "He's not going to believe us if we tell him just like that. We need to find those other bodies. We need proof."

Yakumo opened the door and a gust of wind immediately blew in. Haruka quickly ran toward him, grabbing onto his sleeve and trying to stop him from going outside. "Stop it, Yakumo." She pleaded desperately, feeling another gust of wind hit her face. "You need to wait until the storm is over. Believe it or not, Yakumo, it's dangerous out there. Let me go with you. It's not safe for you to go out there alone."

"No." He pulled his arm from her reach, completely ignoring her. "Just stay here. Go call Gotou and tell him what's going on. Don't do anything that might attract attention." Without giving her a second glance, Yakumo walked outside. He left her. He ignored her plead. Didn't he know that she was just worried about him? Didn't he know that he was more important to her than anything?

Haruka could feel her heart thumping loudly as she stared at the closed door. Even though she was there with him, Haruka still got the feeling that he was pushing her away. He told her that it was for her own safety, for her own protection, but was that really true? She curled her hands into fists while she stared down at the ground. She could feel hot angry tears swelling in her eyes. She felt so frustrated. She felt so frustrated by everything. If she annoyed him so much, then why did he marry her in the first place?

Didn't he know how she felt? She had just been told that her boss was a murderer. He was the one that had killed his own wife. How was she suppose to take that? She had seen him so many times during school and it seemed really hard to believe that such a kind man would do such a thing. He seemed incapable of harming anyone. It was scary to think what would have happened if Yakumo hadn't accepted the case. The Principal would have probably continued on with his monstrous deeds unconsciously.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot. It was heard throughout the house, making startled Haruka duck to cover by instinct. Her heart was racing and she could feel her hands quivering with fear. In a matter of seconds, she saw the Principal's two daughters running toward her from the hallway. Their faces were pale were terror. The sudden blast had probably frighten them too and Haruka could see them trembling as much as her. Of course, neither of them had a single clue of what was going on. Haruka wanted to comfort them, but the maids quickly beat her to it.

"What was that loud sound?!" One of them asked as she gripped on tightly to the maid's dress. "What was that? It was so loud and scary? What was it Mei-chan? What was it?"

"It was just thunder. Very loud thunder." The maid patted her head nervously, lying straight through her teeth. "C'mon. It's best if we go to bed."

They kept asking for their father, but the maids weren't listening to them. They pulled them up the stairs, but the little girls kept asking for their father. Haruka stared at them, too scared to move anywhere. Had that really been a gunshot? Was Gotou-san and Isshi-san okay? Haruka forced her feet to run to the living room. She could feel her heart pounding at a thousand miles per hour. What was really going on? Why was everything so complicated and mysterious? Panic suddenly flowed into her body as an image of Yakumo appeared in her mind. What if it was a gunshot and what if it came from outside? What if someone attacked Yakumo? With that on her mind, Haruka decided to quickly check on Gotou first before she set out to look for Yakumo.

When she stepped into the living room, she was surprised to see the Principal in Gotou's big strong arms, a pistol laying on the floor. She looked at Gotou, who was grabbing the Principal tightly by the neck. Surprisingly enough, the Principal didn't protest against Gotou's grasp and he was staring intensely at the floor, his eyes close to submerging tears.

"Isshin! Call the police, right now!" Gotou hollered at him as his grip increased on the Principal. Then, he noticed her standing there. "Haruka-chan, where the hell is Yakumo?! Why did he just leave us like that!? We almost got our asses killed just a minute ago! Where is he?! Why isn't he with you?!"

"What happened?" Haruka asked him, completely ignoring his questions. She kept taking steps back as she heard Isshi talking on the phone. This was why Yakumo always kept her out of cases. They were too much for her and it was sad to think that a person she knew was involved in the entire problem. "Do you know about what happened?"

"We were just talking normally when he suddenly just pulls out a gun from out of nowhere!" Gotou explained to her, shifting his gaze to the Principal in his grip. "If the maid hadn't stopped him, I would have had another bullet through my gut! Anyways," Gotou held him tighter, not showing him any sign of sympathy. "This pistol he has is the same model his wife used to suicide herself and you know what I think," Gotou hissed at the Principal, making him snap his eyes shut. "I think you had something to do with your wife's death."

"No! I would never!" He was crying now which caused Gotou to release him. "Why would I do something like that to her? She was my queen. She was the love of my life. She was the only one I ever loved. She gave me two beautiful daughters and I couldn't have possibly asked for more. But, I wanted more. I did. She was always busy, always working. She never had time for me. Over the years, I just grew so lonely! I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't! I wanted to be with her! I loved her from the bottom of my heart, but no, she didn't have time for me or my daughters because she was always busy working! Work! Work! Work! I tried to get her attention even if it was by force! I tried! I did everything I could to make her see me again!"

He paused as he looked down at the pistol on the floor. Tears kept flowing from his eyes. "Then, one day she gives me the news that she was diagnosed with cancer. After that, I don't know! I don't know what happened! She killed herself! Yes, that's what she did! I wouldn't hurt my wife! I wouldn't! I loved her! It devastated me to hear that she had cancer! I cried, shed a million tears for her! She was going to die! She was going to die! I don't know and I was really willing to go with her! Why would I kill her?! I loved her too much...I would never...I would never...Midori...I would...never..."

He was running out of breath and Haruka didn't know how much more she could watch. He had probably killed her out of desperation. He probably couldn't take the fact that she had the probability of dying. Haruka took another step back, her eyes focused on the Principal. She could hear the sirens through the thunder.

"I would have, though." The Principal suddenly said in utter shock. "It was better that she ended her life the way she did. It would have drove me mad to see her suffer. I don't think I would be able to see her suffer so much over her long battle. Yes, it was better that way. It was...but I didn't. I didn't kill...her. I didn't kill her! I would never do something like that! Something so horrible and monstrous! No...No!"

He walked over to the wall and was about to start banging his head, but Isshi stopped him from doing so. Haruka stared at the Principal, at the man named Ichiro Takahashi, her boss. She didn't know what to think anymore. Haruka didn't exactly believe the theory Yakumo had told her. She believe that what had caused the Principal to kill his wife and his love romances was a state known as despair.

Despair. Darkness. Loneliness. Pain. Agony. Fear. Rejection. Torment. Sorrow. Misery. All those emotions and feelings were linked up together. If a person gets controlled by one of those emotions, then they're certain for doom. Haruka didn't need to take a college class to learn that. She knew the consequences of those emotions from her past experiences. Everyone they ever encountered in past cases were always connected to one of those emotions and that was part of the reason why they acted the way the did.

Without thinking about it twice, Haruka ran out the living room and ran straight toward the the front door. She opened them widely, but before she could step out the door, Haruka suddenly came face to face with Yakumo. He was out of breath, standing in the doorway, his clothes dripping with rain. Haruka's eyes widen as she stared at him with surprise. "Yakumo-kun?" She said to him, her voice almost completely gone. She could feel her eyes getting a bit swollen from all the tears she was trying to fight back. "You're back already? Gotou-san. He was looking for you. He wants an explanation. He got him and you were right. It was the Principal after all."

Haruka rubbed her eyes as Yakumo stepped inside in silence. They could both hear the police sirens through the thick rain and Haruka was glad that everything was about to end. "I'm so sorry." Haruka suddenly said to him as she felt her chest getting heavy. "I was just in your way, wasn't I? I understand now. I promise to stay out of your work from now on." Oh no. She could feel tears escaping from her eyes.

"It's just so hard to believe." Haruka told him, rubbing her eyes as she tried to calm herself down. "It really was him. It's so clear. He murdered his wife because he didn't want to see her suffer during her long battle against cancer. I know that isn't justification, but it just proves that he did love her. He loved her so much that he didn't know how to deal with it."

Yakumo didn't say a word. He kept staring at her motionless even though Haruka could still hear him breathing heavily. "He was desperate, Yakumo. The Principal was desperate to get his wife's attention, his wife's love. I'm sure it was a big blow on him that his wife was probably not going to make it." Haruka bit her lip as she stared down at the floor. She couldn't look at Yakumo in the eyes. She was afraid that he would scowl at her for acting like such a child. "I just feel so sorry for him. It's so sad to see someone go through something like that. He keeps saying that he didn't kill his wife, but I'm sure he just can't remember. He can't remember. He doesn't want to remember."

Haruka sniffed and she slowly closed her eyes. She couldn't tell what Yakumo was thinking since he had just covered his face with his wet brown hair. "Yakumo," Haruka whispered, barely audible. "Did you find them? Were you able to find the bodies?"

They stayed in silence. The only thing that could be heard was the loud sound of thunder. Then, much to her surprise, Haruka suddenly heard Yakumo sigh heavily. She looked up at him and only to find herself getting pulled into a tight embrace. Yakumo wrapped his arms around her in a way he had never done before. He buried his head into her neck, making her feel his hot breath on her skin.

"I thought it was you." Yakumo suddenly said quietly as he hugged her tightly. "I came running as fast as I could when I heard that gunshot. I thought you were the one that had gotten hit."

"Yakumo."

"It's such a relief." Yakumo was almost resting on top of her body, but his arms remained around her. "It's a relief to have you in my arms. If something happened to you, I don't know what I would."

He had never said such kind words to her all at once especially somewhere that wasn't their home. Haruka could feel her cheeks getting hot, but that didn't stop her from hugging Yakumo back. He had been worried about her. "Yakumo."

"You're very important to me." He whispered in her ear like if he was telling her a secret, like if he didn't want anyone to hear. Haruka could hear the police sirens outside the house and she could see the lights flashing like crazy, but in that moment, she was caught up in a dream. "That's why I want to keep you safe."

"Yakumo."

…

It was dark. She couldn't see because she was blindfolded. She couldn't talk because she had a rag stuck in her mouth. She had no idea where she was and she didn't even get the chance to get a good look at her kidnappers. They had done a good job of drugging her before they forcefully pulled her into a car.

She was walking, but she had no idea where she was walking too. Someone was behind her and if she slowed down, they would push her forward with force. "Keep moving!" They would yell at her before letting out a horrid cackle. "We don't got all day! You ain't the only one up here! We're losing money!"

She did what she was told, afraid she would killed if she disobeyed. Every now and then, she could feel a knife tickling her neck. She was afraid. Of course she was afraid, but she had lived in the streets most of her life and she already knew how to suppress her fears. After all, she had gotten out of worse scrapes before. Why wouldn't she able to get out of this as well?

"Stop right here." The voice told her silently and it wasn't long when she heard him walk away. "If you move from your spot, I swear I'll slit your throat."

The threats. They weren't enough to scare her, but dying at the age of 15 didn't motivate her to try and do something stupid. She remained intact when she heard a loud voice over a microphone. "Excellent." The voice said in a rather low raspy voice that gave her the complete chills. "Our next candidate, is indeed quite special. She has beautiful blue eyes and light brown hair. She's young and has energy to spare. She's also physically fit, ready for anything. It's true that she might be a bit dirty and vulgar and I earnestly apologize if she doesn't meet your standards. But, I'm quite sure that with some discipline, she'll learn to meet your needs. Nothing excites more than a rebellious wild flower."

What was going one? Were they talking about her? She wanted to run, but she suddenly felt two objects grabbing her by the arm. What the heck? What were they going to do with her? She tried to set herself free, but they more she squirmed, the tighter the force. She tried to scream, but it was useless since he mouth was gagged.

"Good luck, sweetheart." Someone whispered in her ear. "Let's hope a bastard doesn't buy you."

Then, she suddenly felt some light come into the room. She couldn't see, but she could feel light before her. She could also hear the voices of many people. She could hear people speculating her. Then the voice over the microphone spoke. "My fair people," He said with some more enthusiasm than before. "This is candidate number 3. Please observe her marvelous features! I can assure you that what's underneath will not disappoint you."

She could hear voices coming closer to her. She wanted to back away, but someone was holding onto her firmly, not letting her escape. For the first time in her life, she truly felt afraid. This was much more frightening than running away from the police, much more frightening than fighting against a gangster, much more frightening than losing a loved one. This was pure hell.

"Well," The voice over the microphone began. "We will start the bidding at 350,000 yen."

That's when it clicked on her...

Human Trafficking.

…


	8. Persuasion

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Ah, man. I'm really not feeling too good. I have this horrible cough and my nose is so stuffy that I can hardly breathe. I was feeling worse yesterday. I even had to come home from school early. It's okay, though. We have a four day weekend, so that alone is enough to make me feel much better. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank everyone that's reading, reviewing, following this story. Things are getting pretty messy so I'm sorry about that. Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectation! :)_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 8 - Persuasion**

"Hey, Haru-chan? Haruka? Haruka!" A hand suddenly waved in front of her face, snapping her back into reality. She looked up from the table as she removed her cup from her lips. "Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?! Geez, why are you so distracted lately? Something going on that you're not telling us?"

Haruka shook her head, placing her cup back on the table. She had been in the teachers' lounge, currently in her lunch break, when her two friends came over to sit with her. They also taught the same grade she did, but unlike her, they had much more experience. "Everything is fine." Haruka lied as she smiled at them nervously, scratching the back of her head. "I guess I've just been stressed out a little."

"Yeah, no kidding." Hana placed her chin on top of her hand and her straw in her mouth. She flipped back her long black hair before giving her cup a small slurp, her hazel eyes looking straight at Haruka. "I've been sitting here yapping my mouth and you haven't been listened to a word I've said. Seriously, Haruka."

Sighing to herself, Haruka looked down at the table again. She was right. There were just too many things in her mind. Her head was clogged with pleasant and horrid thoughts, leaving her with little to no sleep. "I'm sorry." Haruka apologized as she gave Hana a small smile. "What were you saying? I promise I'll listen this time."

"Well," Hana began a bit more triumphantly. She huddled closer to Haruka before looking around the lounge. "You know what I heard? I heard that the principal resigned. Can you believe that? Ichiro Takahashi has been the principal ever since I got here and it's strange how he suddenly resigns like that. At first, I didn't believe it myself, but then I noticed that he hasn't come all week. So it was probably true. The principal probably did resign. I heard that he was having problems and that he was all depressed and stuff. Still, that's kind of hard to believe. He seemed like a pretty cheerful man to me, you know? He used to always say hi to me and he even gave me a donut once. It was chocolate too. It was really good. Anyways, the Principal quit his job. I wonder why. Strange, don't you think?"

If only she knew. Haruka let out a sigh again as she looked down at her cup. In order to protect the school and the children, the police decided to cover up the whole incident. Once the bodies were found, the principal was immediately found guilty, but they didn't send him to prison. Instead they sent him to a mental institution.

Still, despite all the horror and all the terror, Haruka also received her little moment of bliss. How could she forget the way Yakumo had held her? He held her so tenderly, with such gentleness and sincerity. Maybe, after all the time they had been together, maybe Yakumo still had trouble saying his feelings and he only showed them when he needed to. Ever since she met him, Yakumo had always been reserved and a bit quiet. Even so, Haruka wished he would open himself a little more. She wished that Yakumo would one day be able to talk to her normally without the necessity of whispers.

"You two should stop gossipping." Haruka and Hana turned to look at Naoki. He was sitting quietly in front of them, his hands crossed as he stared at them. Unlike her and Hana, Naoki Hasegawa dressed a lot more like a teacher and he acted a lot more serious as well. It was a bit understandable since he was in his late twenties. Haruka considered him her friend, despite his sour attitude. He had been the one to help her out during her first year as a teacher. "You don't get paid to gossip."

"We're not gossiping, Nao. We're just discussing about future activities we could do with our students." Hana grabbed a rice ball from her plate and gave it a big bite. "You don't have to be so bitter all the time, Nao. You're just like Haruka sometimes. How are you ever going to find a girlfriend with that attitude. Then again, if Haru-chan can find a husband, then anyone can."

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" Haruka could feel her eyebrow twitching as she stared at Hana. Sometimes her mouth spoke things that she wasn't suppose to. She was the master of embarrassing her. "You're just jealous." Haruka told her with a sly smile. She let out a small giggle as she placed her chopsticks in her mouth. "It's okay, Hana. I'm sure you'll find your ideal man someday."

"My ideal man?" Hana started laughing, but it was obviously fake. "If only you knew, Haru-chan. If only you knew! Since you don't know, I'll tell you. You see, the other day, while I was in the cafe, I met the most wonderful person ever. Oh, you should have seen him. He was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous! He looked like he had just come out of a magazine or something! Well, I accidentally bumped into him and that's when it happened, Haruka! Love at first sight. Oh, it was such a wonderful moment. If you were there, you would have been so jealous."

"You accidentally bumped into him?" Naoki commented, raising his eyebrow. He silently smirked, his long brown hair falling on top of his dark grey eyes. "Wasn't it more like you bumped into him on purpose?"

"Oh, be quiet, you. I'm not done with my story." Hana pointed at him with her finger, raising herself a little. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down as she sat back down on her chair. Haruka smiled nervously and she hoped they weren't causing that much of a fuss. She quickly checked her watch and she was glad lunch break was over in just a couple of more minutes. If they stayed there any longer, Hana would probably charge herself against Nao.

"Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted," Hana squinted her eyes at Nao, but he didn't seem to care anymore. "Me and this wonderful person started talking. Oh, Haruka. He's just so perfect. His name is Shirou Yamazaki and he's 31 years old. He's tall and he has the most beautiful dark blue eyes. Oh, he is so cute! So, anyways, he's doctor and he's practically been all over the world. He told me that he just came back from France not long ago and that he plans to go to America. Doesn't that sound fun? I'm so lucky to meet such an interesting person."

"Stalker." Naoki said through a quick cough, but Hana ignored him. Nothing could burst her from her little bubble of joy.

"Oh, then he gave me his number. Can you believe it?! He told me to call him so we can meet up. I'm so excited! I can't wait! And to think that I only met him a couple of days ago. At last. My prince charming has finally come to sweep me off my feet." Hana started chuckling, completely ignoring the stares she was getting from other teachers. "You know what? I just got a great idea! Why don't we all hang out together after we're done with work? I'll call Shirou-san so you all can meet him. Trust me, Haruka. You'll think he's the cutest thing ever!"

"In case you've forgotten," Haruka took a gulp from her drink as she furrowed her eyebrows at her talkative friend. "I'm married. I can't really be hanging out with you in these sort of things. Besides, this isn't going to be the first guy you introduce to us."

"Oh, c'mon, Haruka! Don't become like Naoki here." Hana grabbed her handed, surprising Haruka a bit. "You don't want to turn into a bitter old woman or do you? Besides, I'm sure Yakumo won't mind. He's always busy right? I'm sure he won't even notice you getting home a little late. What could possibly go wrong? We're just going to go out and have some fun. We haven't done that since forever. Maybe that way, you'll be able to relax yourself and release some of that stress of yours. What do say? Wanna hang out with me and my awesome Prince? Please, Haruka. You and Naoki just have to meet him. Please! Please? Please?!"

"I don't know, Hana." Haruka pushed her hands away while she looked at Nao. He wasn't saying anything and he seemed more focused on the peas in his plate. Haruka sighed for the millionth time. "I don't think it's a good idea. Maybe some other time, when I ask Yakumo for permission."

"Permission? Haruka, he's not your dad. He'll understand if you tell him that you're only going to be out for a little while, right? You know what? Call him. Ask him if you can hang out with me later." Hana swiped her phone from her pocket and gave it to Haruka. Hesitating, Haruka groaned to herself. Didn't she understand that she just wanted to go home? She didn't want to bother Yakumo with these sort of things. "C'mon, call him from your phone. Just you watch. He's not going to say anything."

Feeling obliged, Haruka slowly opened her phone and quietly stared at the buttons. She could feel Hana and Naoki staring at her which made her feel more nervous. She really didn't want to bother Yakumo during his work hours. He had taken on another case with Gotou not long ago and Haruka surely didn't want to interrupt them. He would definitely scold at her if she called him for something so stupid. "C'mon, Haruka!" Hana iniststed. "Call him already."

"It's okay. I'll go with you. There's no need to call him." Haruka nervously smiled at her, snapping her phone shut. She placed it back in her pocket and hoped Hana wouldn't touch that subject again. "I'll just send him a text later. You're right. I'm sure he won't mind."

"Yes! That's great. I'm so glad. We're gonna have so much fun." Hana hugged Haruka's arm tightly before looking over at Naoki. "You're gonna come too, Nao. You can't leave two poor defenseless girls on their own, right?"

She laughed, but Haruka and Noaki didn't find anything amusing. In fact, they were the least ones happy. Haruka wondered why Hana still acted so childish sometimes. She was always dragging them into her affairs. It was pretty bothersome especially for her since she wasn't single anymore. She wondered if she would be just as desperate as Hana if she wasn't married to Yakumo.

Suddenly, Hana grabbed her hand and held out in the air. "By the way, Haruka, I've always wondered," She began as she looked carefully in between her fingers. Haruka wondered what was wrong this time. "Why don't you wear your wedding ring? If you keep that up, all those crazy guys are going to think that you're still available. Haven't you ever thought about something like that?"

"Hana, stop saying things like that." Haruka hid her hand away from her and she could feel her face blushing a little. Why she didn't or did wear her ring was none of her business and Haruka really didn't feel like revealing that sort of information.

"I'm just asking, geez. You don't have to get so defensive about it." Hana stood up from her chair, grabbing her trash. "Well, I should get going. I need to go to class before lunchtime is over. You know how kids are. You can't leave them alone for a second, can you? Well, I'll see you two after work. Don't forget. Especially you, Haruka. You better not try to ditch me like the way you did last time. I'll haunt you down to the end of the earth. You hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Haruka crossed her hands as she watched Hana leave. She let out an annoyed sigh while closing her lunch box. "That girl. She really does whatever she likes. She doesn't even bother to ask for our opinions."

"I guess." Naoki told her and he also got up from his chair. After giving her a long stare, he began to walk toward the exit, not uttering another word.

She was left alone and she kind of liked it that way. She just wanted to have some peace. She didn't want to meet Hana's new boyfriend. She didn't want to hang out with her friends or with anyone. She just wanted to get home and see Yakumo. She wanted to be with him even though he probably didn't have any time for her at the moment. It was okay, though. Haruka was starting to understand that she couldn't always get her way. She knew now not to get involved in Yakumo's work. She had learned her lesson the hard way.

Haruka looked at her hand, seeing her ring finger empty. Why didn't she wear her wedding ring? Maybe it was because Yakumo never wore it either. It was just an object to him and he had told her that he didn't find it necessary to wear such a thing. Of course, Haruka had pretend to agree with him when in reality it had kind of hurt her to hear him say such a thing. What was so wrong with wearing a wedding ring? Did he not want people to know that he was taken? Whatever it was, Haruka decided to not let it bother her.

Getting up from her seat, Haruka carried her lunch box carefully in her hand before throwing her empty plastic cup in the trash. She still had half the day to get through, so she didn't want to let her thoughts drag her down. She had to remain happy and cheerful for her students. She had to show them that she was an exemplary teacher.

Even so, it was going to be a very long day and she really wasn't looking forward to the evening.

…


	9. Reversal

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Oh my gosh. I don't even know how I finished this. This was probably the most difficult chapter I have ever written for this story so far. I'm still not to happy with it, but I guess, looking at it from afar, it's not that bad. So, I'm warning you. He might be out of character. Also, I believe this chapter will give hints on what's to come. :)_

_So, the other day, I found all the PDY episodes on Youtube and I started squealing with joy. I don't even know why. I've seen every episode before. I'm just weird, I guess. Then chapter 29 came out and I went crazy. It's just too amazing. They should have definitely made a second season. Geez._

_Anyways, I would like to thank everyone that's reading this story! Also, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 9 - Reversal**

Yakumo wasn't really taking any particular interest, but since Gotou was already there, he might as well listen. Still, there were other things that he would rather occupy himself with.

"Look, here she is." Gotou said to him, handing him a few pictures. With a sigh, Yakumo grabbed them, reaching across from the table. "This fifteen year old girl was found killed a couple of days ago, her body was completely torn. There were several important organs missing, like the lungs, liver, kidney, ect. She was found around Shinjuku, but she was last seen around this area. Strange that no one reported her missing."

"Why are you telling me this?" Yakumo asked him, placing the pictures on top of the table as he watched Gotou walk back and forth, pondering and thinking to himself. Once again, he was getting too involved with a case. "This is the police's' job, not mine."

"Dammit, Yakumo." Gotou groaned, pulling out another picture from his pocket. He gave him a glare, but Yakumo was already used it. "I know that already. Here. Take a look at this."

He threw Yakumo another picture, but this one, of course was different. This was a picture of the same girl, except she wasn't human, she was a ghost, a spirit, a dead soul. Yakumo looked at the picture for a bit longer than usual, examining the background. She was killed in Shinjuku and yet, her spirit came back to that spot. He wondered why. "So what do you want me to do?" Yakumo asked him as he crossed his hands. "I don't think you came over here to show me these pictures."

"The point is," Gotou began. He pulled out a cigarette from his box and placed it in his mouth, but he didn't bother to light it. He just kept it there in his mouth, unlit. "This girl was killed and her organs can't be found. I was hoping you might help us out here especially now that her ghost showed up. I need to know if it's linked or connected to those bastards."

"What are you talking about now?" Yakumo asked standing up from his chair, walking over to his living room. He hated talking about cases in his home. For some reason, it just made him feel uncomfortable. Yakumo plopped himself in the sofa, leaning his head back when SHE suddenly came to mind.

"You don't know anything, do you?" Gotou sounded frustrated, but Yakumo didn't let that bother him. He stood in front him with his hands crossed. "Not long ago, the police found this basement where some stupid bastards were hosting human auctions, trafficking them. It was all over the news. I can't believe you didn't hear about it. Figures. Anyways, considering the way she died and how her ghost appeared only a couple of blocks away from that incident, I thought she might have some sort of connection."

"So, you think this girl was sold off then?" Yakumo lifted his eyebrow, frowning upon the human race. He couldn't believe it sometimes. The people who did those sort of things were definitely disgusting. "I can see how something like that would connect with her. She was probably sold off in the first place for her organs."

"Still," Gotou hesitated, grumbling to himself as he scratched the back of his head. "Her ghost probably appeared for a reason. There's probably more to this than we can see. It's so frustrating. We captured those bastards, but what about the one that cut her up?"

Yakumo didn't want to admit it, but Gotou had a point. The one who sold her off and cut out her organs were probably two different organizations. It was unlikely that it was the same person. Still, if she was auctioned off, where was the purchaser? There was only way for them to find out. Yakumo sighed with annoyance as he looked up at Gotou. He always found a way to talk him into problems. "Fine. I guess it won't hurt to check things out. Don't expect me to do all the work. I understand you're getting old, but don't take that to your advantage."

"Rude as ever, but I'll gladly take your services." He smirked at him as he grabbed a nearby chair. Sitting down, Gotou pulled out his lighter from his pocket. "We'll go check out that area tomorrow. I think it's several minutes from Haruka's school."

Simply hearing her name made him feel something strange inside his chest. He ignored it like always, though. "You better not even think of lighting that thing in my house." Yakumo warned him with a glare. "I'll kick you out of here. You better not be smoking around Nao either."

"Fine. Fine." He snapped it half and tossed it over to the table, putting away his lighter. "Don't get me wrong, Yakumo. I don't smoke that much anymore. It's only every now and then."

There was a long silence, both of them staying quiet for the next seconds to come. Yakumo leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrating, ringing inside his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller id. It was her. She was calling him. He answered, trying to hide some his sudden anxiousness from Gotou.

"_Yakumo? I'm so sorry if I'm bothering you or interrupting you."_ She started out and Yakumo could hear her voice shaking up a bit. _"It's just that there's something I need to ask you."_

"Just tell me." Yakumo told her bluntly as he closed his eyes, sitting up straight. He wondered what she wanted. It wasn't everyday she asked something from him. "I'm listening."

"_Well, you see," _Her voice changed pitch and Yakumo could practically see her inside his head. _"I'm going to hang out with my friends for a little while. I hope you don't mind. I'll probably be getting home a little late also. I'm still not sure. I don't know how long Hana wants to keep me out here. Honestly, she really doesn't understand that I'm a busy woman." _Yakumo heard her sigh. _"But, I guess it's okay."_

Yakumo didn't say anything for a while as he looked down at the floor. For some reason, Yakumo's foot began to shake impatiently. "That's fine. Just make sure to be careful."

"_Okay. Thanks." _She stayed quiet for a little bit, but Yakumo could hear her breathing heavily. He could also hear several voices in the background. They were probably her friends. _"Well, I see you later, then. I, umm, lov- I hope you take care. Bye."_

She hung up, leaving Yakumo a little surprised. Was it that hard for her to talk to him? He sighed and closed his phone, but it wasn't long before he heard Gotou laughing. There he went again. "You were talking to Haruka-chan, weren't you?!" His silence confirmed his suspicions. "I knew it. You're face immediately change as soon as you answered. It's so obvious it was her. So what did she say? Did she tell you she was on her way or something?"

"What she said is none of your business." Yakumo snapped at him, an uneasy feeling forming inside him. He gripped on his phone tightly, avoiding his gaze. "What the hell are you still doing here? There's nothing for you to do here anymore. Go home."

Gotou shook his head like a little kid, a smirk forming on his face. Yakumo hated when people pried into his life, into his business. "Why should I? I want to say hi to Haruka-chan, too."

"She's not coming home right now." Yakumo told him, rolling his eyes. He tried his best to block away Gotou's laughter. There was no way he was about get him off his back now. "So go home. I already agreed to help you out with this case."

"That explains it." Gotou pretended to be serious. He placed his hand on his chin while he shot him a sarcastic look. "That's why you got all weird. Scared that she might cheat on you or something?"

Gotou had hit the bullseye, but Yakumo tried to not show it. He wasn't about to feed Gotou's ego with something trivial like that. "What stupidity are you saying?" He responded instead. "You're such idiot."

"Oh, but it can happen." Gotou suddenly sighed, his foolishness washing away. "It happened to me once before. Remember? My wife didn't cheat on me, but she did leave the house. I was never with her. I hardly ever paid attention to her. I guess she got fed up with me and left. Women. They're strange creatures, but they're easily hurt. You gotta watch what you say and what you do around them."

Yakumo stayed quiet, but he kept on listening.

"Thanks to Nao-chan, things are better now. We're getting along better. My wife finally got that happy family that she always wanted." Gotou let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. He was probably being absorbed in his own thoughts. "I do play around a lot, but I'm being pretty serious now. You and Haruka don't act like a normal couple at all. If you keep that up, you're going to end up losing her."

"I'm not asking for your advice." Yakumo told him, standing up from the sofa. He walked toward the table and looked down at the pictures Gotou had showed him earlier. "I can handle this."

"You're hopeless." Gotou told him, his keys jingling. "Well, since Haruka isn't coming, I guess I'll get going. There's something Isshi and I were ordered to check out."

Yakumo didn't bother to see him off. He only heard the door slamming shut and he suddenly found himself alone in the apartment. Silence was creeping in behind him, the clock ticking steadily in a beat. He let out a sigh before suddenly slamming his fist on the table. "Damn." He said to himself, gathering the pictures that were on the table and placing them in the counter.

He slumped himself back on the couch unsure of what he was suppose to do. Everything Gotou had said was true. He didn't want to admit it, but everything that old man had said was true. Would she really leave him? Would she really leave him for another man? Yakumo didn't want distrust his wife, but he couldn't help it. Gotou's words kept echoing inside his head, filling him with doubts.

It was true that he always had trouble expressing himself, but he thought she already knew that. Couldn't she tell that he was only comfortable around her? Didn't she know that he could only be himself around her? After everything they went through, would she really leave him like the way Gotou's wife had?

He couldn't deny the fact that he loved her, but those were the kinds of things he didn't like to say out loud. He wasn't used to those types of feelings and he felt that he would never get used to them.

Still, it angered him whenever he saw her with Isshi or with any other man for that matter, but it frustrated him even more when he wouldn't do anything about it. Would he just let it happen then? Would he just sit back and watch her being taken away? He really wished he could change that in himself especially now that she was being drifted apart from him in more ways than one.

He remembered what Gotou had said. He remembered how Gotou had told him that Nao had changed his and his wife's life. He wondered if that would happen to him as well. If they created a family, would things get better between them? Yakumo looked around the room as he kept pondering about it. How would the house be if they ended up becoming parents?

Yakumo didn't want to be thinking of those things. After all, he had a new case in his hands and that should be his priority at that moment. He needed to solve that case as soon as possible, but how could he when he had such thoughts on his mind?

How was he suppose to concentrate on anything when she was out there doing who knows what with her friends? She didn't even tell him where she was going or with who. She didn't tell him what time she was going to be back or who was going to bring her home. What type of husband was he? What type of husband lets his wife run out in the streets at night?

Slamming his fist on the sofa, Yakumo silently groaned to himself. He had come home early just to be with her and she tells him that she'll be with her friends. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. He would just have to hope for her safety and hope she stays away from alcoholic beverages.

He would just have to wait for her, like the way she would wait for him.

...


	10. Mistake

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Longest Yakumo chapter yet. Things are going to get complicated and a bit rough, so bare with , I've been wasting so much time with my tumblr page that it's crazy. It's a lot of fun, though. I don't know why I didn't get one sooner,_

_Well, thank you for patiently waiting! I appreciate it! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations._

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 10 - Mistake**

"There." Haruka snapped at Hana as she closed her cellphone. She placed it back inside her purse before giving Hana a long stare. If Hana hadn't forced her to call Yakumo, she would probably be feeling in a much better mood. "Are you happy now?"

"Don't get mad at me, Haru-chan! I just really wanted you and Nao to come with me." Hana insisted, getting out the car first. Haruka quickly followed. "I can't thank you two enough really, so please don't be mad at me. Why don't you two try to understand me? I don't think I have ever been this excited about anyone. He's just so perfect, Haruka. Shirou is probably the most handsome guy that has ever existed! His dark blue eyes are absolutely gorgeous!"

"That's what you said last time." Naoki suddenly commented, locking his car before he closed the door. He gave them both a serious glare, showing no emotions whatsoever. "That relationship ended up lasting for three days."

"Hey, I made a mistake, okay? He wasn't the one I was looking for. Sure he was rich and good looking, but he was a bit boring. He was a college professor after all." Hana grabbed Haruka's arm and began pulling her away from the car and from Naoki, leaving him behind. "I think Shirou is perfect for me. I can see myself getting married to him. Oh, I hope he likes me too. It'll be a big disappointment if he ends up telling me that he's already taken. I hope he's single!"

"Don't you think you're taking this too fast?" Haruka told her as she nudged her in the shoulder. "I mean, you should get to know Shirou a little better first. Besides. what's the rush? I'm sure the right guy will come eventually."

"That's easy for you to say!" Hana exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. "You're already married! You have nothing to worry about. Anyways, I have a chance here with Shirou and I hope everything works out well."

"So he told you to meet him in a nightclub?" Naoki said after he had caught up with them. "What type of doctor does that?"

"A doctor that knows how to have fun, not like you." Hana stuck out her tongue at him and she kept on walking before Naoki grabbed her arm. Haruka watched carefully, getting hints that Naoki was exceptionally worried about Hana. It was starting to click inside her that maybe Nao had feelings for Hana. She certainly hoped so since he was the ideal person Hana needed. "What? You too scared to come?"

"You're not a teenager anymore. You shouldn't do these kinds of things." Naoki told her, but Hana simply pulled her arm from his grasp. "Remember that we have school tomorrow. You can't teach or go in class with a hangover."

"Who says I'm going to get wasted? That's why I brought you guys along." Hana told them, grabbing Haruka's arm again. she began to pull her toward the entrance. "Besides, it's a small one and were just here to have some fun. Our poor Haru-chan here has been looking pretty depressed! We need to cheer her up. Isn't that right, Haruka? Anyways, if you're so worried then come with us. You'll see that nothing bad is going to happen. I'm just going to go in there, meet up with Shirou for a little bit, and try to relax. I think you two should do the same."

"If Haruka's husband finds her here, he'll kill her and you." Naoki told her with a little more force in his voice and Haruka was surprised that he had just read her thoughts. What would Yakumo say if he found her going into such a place? She would never hear the end of it and it was all Hana's fault.

"He won't say anything. He's probably twice as stiff as you. I swear." Hana laughed it off in the end, giving Haruka's arm a hug. "No offense to you, Haru-chan. You know it's true, right? I could totally see Nao and Yakumo-san hanging out. It's too funny!"

Haruka let out a small chuckle, but in reality she wasn't feeling relaxed at all. In fact, she began to feel more nervous than ever. She didn't like the idea of going to a nightclub especially if Hana was going to meet some guy she had just met. The only reason she hadn't runned off was because Hana was practically clinging onto her arm, not letting her go.

After identifying themselves in the entrance, they walked inside and Haruka was awed by the entire place. It was pretty cramped and not to mention small. Luckily, it wasn't as dark as Haruka had imagined it inside her head and she was glad that it was still visible enough for her too see. They stood there for a couple of seconds when someone suddenly walked toward them.

"Hana-chan. You came. I'm so glad you came." He said to them. He walked over to Hana and gave her a tight embrace. Haruka didn't have to know that he was Shirou Yamazaki, Hana's new love interest. They parted, but they continued to talk under their little personal bubble. "I'm so sorry I made you come all the way here. I run this place and I come here every now and then to keep on eye on things. You know how teenagers are now a days. They're always causing trouble."

"Wow, Shirou-san. That's amazing. Not only are you doctor, you have traveled all over the world and you also own this place?! That's just so cool!" Hana exclaimed and Haruka could see her face radiating with happiness. "This is perfectly fine with me. I love this place already. It's so lively and it looks fun."

"I'm glad. I'm glad you like it here. We make lots profit, in more ways than one." He told her, but then he finally noticed them behind Hana. "Oh, you brought friends?"

"Yes! I mean, yes." Hana said excitedly over the roll of music that had just started playing in the background. They could also hear the happy cheers of the people dancing. "These are my friends. This is Naoki Hasegawa. He's my co-worker. We've been working in the same place for a couple of years now."

They greeted each other without much need of words. Then, Hana grabbed her hand and pulled her over. "This right here is Haruka Saito. She's my best friend and she's very special to me. I have no idea what I would do without her."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Shirou said to her with a small little bow. Haruka did the same with a small smile on her face. "I've heard so much about you from Hana the other day. Anyways, I've saved a table over there, so why don't you all go take a seat. I'll send a waiter with some drinks in a minute. Please, make yourself comfortable and make sure to have a nice time. There are a few matters I need to attend, but I will be with you shortly."

"That's alright, Shirou-san. Take your time." Hana told him as she and Haruka walked over to the table Shirou had pointed out to them. It was a small four chaired table in the very corner, quite isolated from the uproar. Haruka sighed as she took her seat, placing her purse on the floor. She was definitely getting too old for that sort of thing.

"Isn't this place great? Can you believe that Shirou actually owns this place? I mean, it's incredible. All the things he does and owns. He can't get anymore perfect. I want him to be my boyfriend so badly now. Did you see how cute he's dressed?!" Hana sat down next to Haruka, placing her chin on her hands, staring out at the dance floor. Naoki sat down across from her.

"He doesn't even look like a doctor." Naoki crossed his hands, staring at both of them. "I don't think he's a doctor at all."

It wasn't long before the waiter came over with some drinks. He handed each of them one, but Haruka hesitated to grab it. Yakumo had always told her not to drink since she didn't know how. She always ended up falling after the second or third. She was really pathetic at drinking so that's why she always kept away from those kinds of beverages. "No, thank you." She told the waiter.

"What do you mean?" Hana suddenly said, grabbing her drink for her and placing it before her. "Just one, Haruka. One isn't going to kill you. Nao and I will take care of you. So, relax. I'm telling you this for your own good. I've seen you these past few days absolutely misrable. Why is that? Is something going on between you and Yakumo?"

"No. Nothing's wrong." That was exactly the problem. Nothing was wrong, but nothing was right either. There was just something that was stopping their matrimony from functioning properly, but she didn't know what. Haruka grabbed her nicely vivid drink in her hands and stared at it silently, letting out a silent sigh. "Everything's alright. I've just been a bit stressed out from work. My kids are getting a bit restless."

"Understandable. Understandable." Hana said after taking a small gulp. "My kids are exactly the same way. I'm sure they're just excited to end the week. I know I am. I hope Shirou takes me out to a date or something."

Haruka kept looking at her drink, hesitating to take a drink from it. Then, she closed her eyes and placed the glass in her lips, getting a whiff of the scent. When she finally took a sip, Haruka could feel the liquid burning down her throat. She wondered what she had just drunk. She looked over at Hana and she wasn't reacting in any particular way. She wondered if it was just her since she wasn't used to drinking at all.

"I'm back. Sorry I took so long. I had to bring in an order of sake." He sat down next to Hana, a smile visible on both their faces. Haruka, on the other hand, took another sip from her drink. Beside the strange burn, the beverage itself was pretty good. "It's not as crowded here as it usually is. It must be because it's Thursday. Still, I'm glad I took a day off today. I was able to take a look around here and see you, Hana."

Haruka wished Yakumo would say something like that to her.

"So, you run this place?" Naoki began in a tone of voice that sounded more like an interrogation. "What kind of doctor are you? Giving alcohol to all these youngsters? Aren't you ashamed?"

Hana was about to shush him, but Shirou stopped her from doing so. "I'm not exactly a doctor persay."

"Then what are you?" Naoki continued and Haruka could see his angry aura. He was doing all this for Hana's sake. He wanted to see if Shirou was a good candidate for her. Haruka took a bigger sip from her drink before looking up at Naoki again. Despite his cold exterior, he was a really sweet person. Maybe he was even sweeter than her own husband. "Have you been lying this entire time?"

"Well, that's enough of my personal life, don't you think?" Shirou laughed it off as a joke when he suddenly wrapped his arm around Hana's shoulders. Haruka could see Hana's excited expression and she could almost swear she was blushing. "Why don't you tell us about yourself, Hana? How has your work been going along?"

Before Hana even had a chance to respond, Naoki stood up from his chair and pulled Hana away to the dancefloor. As much as she protested and as much as she kept hitting him in the chest to let her go, Naoki forcefully ended up dancing with her to a pretty slow stepped song. Haruka could see him wrapping his arm around her waist, holding her firmly and not allowing her run off. Haruka could see Hana squirming. She probably wanted to go back with Shirou, but, of course, Naoki didn't seem to let her go. In the end, she gave in to Naoki's persistence and she ended up dancing with him. It didn't seem like she had much of a choice.

Haruka sat there in silence with Shirou and since she had nothing to say, she decided to remain that way. She let out a sigh and when she looked down at her drink, she realized that it was empty. She hadn't even noticed when she had already finished it. Looking down at her empty glass with disappointment, Haruka suddenly saw another one appear in front of her. She was surprised to realize that Shirou had gotten it from a passing waiter for her.

"There you go." He told her with a smile. "You wanted another one, right?"

Haruka didn't say anything as she stared down at the beverage. Did she want another one? It had a nasty sting in it, but the flavor wasn't entirely that bad since it tasted a lot like cherries. Maybe nothing bad would happen if she had two. After all, she was an adult already. She could handle herself. "Thank you."

"So you're Haruka Saito, right?" He asked her, positioning himself in a much more interested manner. Haruka nodded and took a gulp from her drink. The sting down her throat actually felt a bit nice, but for some reason, she found the burn a bit less than before. "That's such a nice name. I kind of like it."

"Thanks." Haruka said again, an image of Yakumo suddenly flashing through her mind as she took another sip from her drink. What the hell was she drinking anyway? She knew it was alcohol by the smell, but what exactly was it? She wanted to ask Shirou, but she was just too embarrassed. "I like it too."

Shirou laughed and that's when he sat down in the chair next to her. "So, do you have a boyfriend? I mean, such a pretty woman like you can't be single right?"

"Boyfriend." Haruka said in a low whisper as she looked down at her second empty glass. Shirou snapped his fingers several times and in matter of seconds, Haruka had a full glass in front of her again. She smiled silently to herself and grabbed her new glass in between her fingers. "I don't have a boyfriend. I'm already married."

"Oh, you are? I would have never imagined. Isn't that a surprise." Shirou told her, but he didn't seem surprised at all. The music was getting louder and Haruka didn't even noticed herself slurping her third glass away. It was really cooling her down and she was starting to feel a bit lightheaded. It was barely her third. No one gets drunk with three glasses of alcohol. She'll show Yakumo that she's tough and that he was completely mistaken about her. "How long have you been married?"

"Oh, I don't know." Haruka told him, but she did know. She knew the exact day, the exact hour, the exact year. How could she forget such an important date? Haruka suddenly found herself craving for another drink. "Maybe a year?"

"Wow. That's hardly anything at all." He commented, but Haruka found herself a bit insulted. "Still, it makes no sense. What is a married woman doing here all alone? Why isn't your husband with you? Why would he let such a beautiful woman be alone? Clearly. He must be very careless or he trusts you a lot."

"It's neither." Haruka said sadly, grabbing Naoki's untouched drink. It was just so darn good. She was sure four wasn't going to do much. She still felt completely okay. It was true that her vision was getting a bit blurry, but that was it. She didn't feel any other effects, so she figured she was doing okay. "Yakumo isn't anywhere near careless and I don't think he trusts me with anything at all. I think I'm alone because he doesn't care enough. He could have easily stopped me. He could have told me to go home, but he didn't. He let me come here without even asking me anything."

Haruka suddenly found herself feeling a bit sentimental. She could feel herself close to tears. She swallowed Naoki's drink in one gulp and it wasn't long before Shirou had gotten another one for her. She smiled at him happily, glad he had read her thoughts. "Yakumo. There are times when I can never understand him. Still, I love him so much. I wonder if he realizes that. I wonder if he knows that he's the only person I have ever loved. I want to spend the rest of my days with him."

"Such a commitment." Shirou told her and she could suddenly felt him place his hand on her chair. He was getting closer to her, but Haruka couldn't tell how close. "Woman like you are rare. You would make an awesome addition."

Pretty soon, everything became a blur.

...

Something was wrong. Naoki could tell. He loved having Hana in his arms, but something was wrong. When he glanced over at the table, he noticed that Shirou bastard getting a little too close with Haruka. He kept hoping that she would push him away, but she didn't. She was letting him stay that way. He wasn't about to allow that.

When he saw Shirou hand Haruka a drink, Naoki immediately stopped in mid-song and pulled Hana over back to the table. "Hey, Nao!" She exclaimed, trying to pull her hand from his grasp. "What the hell are you doing now? Why are you acting so weird?! You ruined my entire night! This was suppose to be my night with Shirou! I wanted to get to know him better and you ruined everything!"

Naoki didn't say anything. He didn't have time to listen to Hana's complains no matter how much he loved her. When they finally reached the table, Naoki immediately pulled Shirou off Haruka and he was surprised to see her close to passing out. He was completely blown away when he saw seven empty glasses.

"Nao! Naoki-chan." Haruka said to him with a smile, getting up from her chair. When she tried to stand up, she accidently stumbled sideways, but Hana was able to catch her in time. "Hana-chan." She said to Hana with a dreamy look. "You're soooo beautiful...so pretty."

"Why the hell did you let her drink so many?!" Naoki suddenly found himself barking at the blue eyed idiot. Oh, did he hate him now. What the hell was he trying to do? "She's not used to these kind of thing."

"How was I suppose to know?" He said, but his innocent tone wasn't working with him. He was three seconds from punching him across the face. "I'm so sorry, Hana. I didn't know. Honestly. She looked fine to me until you two showed up. I had no idea. Please forgive me."

It pissed Naoki off to see Hana completely fall for his charm. Couldn't she see passed his mask? He had lied to her about being a doctor and now he had gotten Haruka purposely drunk. What exactly was his objective? Then, Shirou grabbed Haruka gently by the waist, helping her stand up and Haruka seemed really out of it.

"I'm so sorry, Haruka. You don't know how bad I feel right now." Shirou told her even though it was obvious she was in another world. She smiled at him as she hung onto his shirt. "I'll take her home."

Naoki pretended to laugh and pushed blue eyes off. "You're stupid if you think I'm going to let you take her home after you purposely got her drunk. I brought my car, so I'm going to take her home."

"I already said that I'm sorry." Shirou continued and then he turned over to look at Hana. He grabbed her hands, making Naoki's blood boil inside. Why was she still siding with him? Couldn't she tell he was bad news? Naoki held onto Haruka, who was gripping onto his sleeve tightly and he could hear her mumbling something underneath her breath.

"Hana, please forgive me." Shirou told her, taking a step closer to Hana. If he wasn't holding Haruka, his fist would probably be smashed in that guy's face. "I'll call you tomorrow to see how Haruka-san is doing, okay?"

Hana nodded and when Naoki saw them leaning closer toward each other, he angrily called out her name. "Hana!" He said out loud, making her turn around. Pulling out the keys from his pocket, Naoki threw them at Hana before he carried Haruka in his arms bridal style. "Go open and turn on the car."

They were really causing a scene now and Naoki could feel everyone staring at them. Of course, he didn't care. He needed to get both his girls out of there. After Hana had rushed out of there and before he even headed toward the exit, Naoki stopped in front of Shirou. He gave him a glare he would never forget.

"You better stay away from them." He told him, but Shirou only gave him a confused look. "Hana has me and I'm here to protect her. You better not even think about calling her here again. If you do I'll personally trash this place."

"You're misunderstanding, Naoki-san" Shirou said in a pleading voice. "I didn't mean too. It was really an accident. I didn't notice her drinking so much. She just seemed so sad as she kept on talking about her husband. She seemed to open up when she started drinking, but I thought she was used to it already. Honest. I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive me."

"Stop being an ass." Naoki told him with a scowl. "Haruka's husband probably would knock the living shit out of you."

...


	11. Exchange

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I'm so sorry for my long absence. Last was just terrible week for not only me, but for my country. Then, I had to write my first research paper over Gun Control. That really took up most of my strength as well. I ended up getting a 109, so I guess I did pretty good. Then Sunday comes and I hear that one of my school mates has been missing since Friday. She still hasn't appeared...I wonder if she's okay._

_Anyways, pushing everything aside, I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect. I'm sorry for the long wait, but I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Also, there might be (there is) a lot of OOC from Yakumo's part. It's always so hard to write in his point of view._

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 11- Exchange**

It was already past ten and there was still no sign of her. She had called him over an hour ago to tell him that she was going to spend some time with her friends. She didn't tell him when she was coming home. She didn't even tell him where she was going and of course, he didn't bother asking either. He regretted that now because even though he didn't like it, Yakumo was starting to get a little worried.

It wasn't like her to be out so late especially if she knew that she had class tomorrow. She was pretty clumsy and clueless sometimes, but she wasn't irresponsible. As he sat there on top of the sofa, looking up at the ceiling, Yakumo wondered where she could be. He finally understood what she had to go through when she would wait for him to get home from work. It wasn't a comfortable feeling at all.

He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket and looked at the screen, waiting for a call or text from her. He got nothing. The more he looked at his cellphone the more impatient he became. He had already called her a few times, but she wouldn't answer her phone and it would go straight to her voicemail.

Sighing for the millionth time, Yakumo sat up straight as his eyes focused on the door. The entire apartment was dead silence and the only thing that could be heard was the constant maddening ticking of the clock that was hanging on the wall. The minutes kept ticking by and there was still no sign of her. It wasn't long before Yakumo's head started filling with crazy ideas.

What if something had happened to her? She trusts people way too much and that could probably get her into some problems. She'd probably take a ride from a stranger if they offered her one. What if she got herself lost? What if she was lured away by some other guy? What if she decided to spend the night over her friend's house? Asking himself all of this, Yakumo smirked to himself and he shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He was thinking of his wife as a little girl when in fact she was a grown woman. He was sure that she was capable of taking care of herself or at least that's what he hoped.

Yakumo wasn't sure how much more time had passed when he finally heard a knock on the door. He stood up, a bit too quickly for his own liking, and walked toward the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see his wife in the arms of another man. He immediately felt his eyebrow twitch.

She looked half asleep, but she was gripping on to the man's shirt tightly like if she needed him for support. Yakumo glared at them not sure what to think. He felt himself holding tightly on the door when he noticed the man's arm around her waist. "Who are you?" He asked him a bit coolly, trying to not show anger. Then he gave her a quick glance. "What happened?"

"Saitou-san!" A woman suddenly popped out from out of nowhere and Yakumo quickly recognized her as one of Haruka's friends. "We're so sorry about this. We didn't take care of her properly. I didn't notice her drinking so much and when I finally did, it was already too late. I'm very sorry."

"You should be." The man replied as he tried to stand Haruka up properly. Judging by the way they spoke to one another, Yakumo concluded that he was also one of Haruka's friends. Even so, he didn't like the way he was holding his wife with such familiarity. "It was mostly your fault."

"Be quiet, Naoki!" She exclaimed, pretending to punch him in the arm. For some reason, her eyes were close to tears. "You're at fault here too, so don't put all the blame on me."

Ignoring their bickering, Yakumo stepped forth until he stood right in front of Haruka. He lifted her head, getting her attention. She rubbed her eyes a few times until she finally realized it was him. "Yakumo-kun!" She squealed with some delight before she embraced him. It was in that moment that Yakumo could smell the stench of alcohol. He found himself losing his cool for another slight second, his eyebrow unconsciously twitching.

Yakumo slowly took her inside and then he turned to look at her friends. He glared at them, gripping on the door tightly. "This better not happen again," he told them before slamming the door shut.

Once inside, Yakumo looked at her as she stumbled her way to the living room. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe she had let herself get drunk to such an extreme. She kept mumbling to herself under her breath, but she went dead silence when he grabbed her wrist firmly. "What happened to you? Why are you like this?"

"Me?" She said, acting surprised as she pointed at herself with her index finger. She let out a small laugh which completely annoyed him. He wasn't joking around. He was being dead serious. "What are you talking...about, Yakumo-kun?! I'm totally fine! I feel...perfect."

She was lying straight through her teeth and Yakumo unwillingly let out a small growl of frustration. He was worried about her and it turns out that she was off somewhere getting drunk with her friends. The more Yakumo thought about, the more pissed off he became. That would be the last time he would let her go anywhere. "What the hell were you thinking? Do you know what could have happened? You can't wander around the streets like this."

She wasn't listening and it seemed to him that she was staring off into space. She turned to look at him with a small smile, catching him completely off guard. Really. What in the world was she thinking? Was she even thinking at all? Yakumo wondered just how much she had drunk and he wondered why her friends hadn't stopped her from the beginning. What type of friends were they? Haruka let out another small laugh as she pulled her hand from his reach. Of course, that almost made her fall back, but she managed to regain her balance.

"You shouldn't...worry too much, Yakumo-kun." She told him in between hiccups. Placing her hands on her hips, she tried to act natural. "Everything is fine! Fine! Fine! Nao-chan...he brought me home. He's soooo nice! What would I do without...without him and Hana?"

"What were you thinking?" Yakumo began to scold at her, but looking at her drunken state, he doubted she would even listen to him at all since she seemed to be in her own world. "Why didn't you answer when I called you? Why didn't you tell me that you were coming home late?"

"You called...me?" She asked him and he could see a small blush forming on her face, her cheeks becoming redder. She began to look in her pockets for something before she looked at him dumbfounded. "My phone? Where is? Where is it? Did I leave it in Nao-chan's car? Did I take...a purse? I didn't know. I don't knowz any-"

"How do you not know? You're such an idiot." He told her as he tried to calm himself down. Letting out a sigh, he placed his hand over his forehead and decided to give up. "You know what forget it. Go take a shower and wash yourself off. We'll talk about this in the morning."

Before he had a chance to walk away, he suddenly felt her small hand grab onto his sleeve. His eyes widen a little when he noticed tears swelling in her eyes. In that moment, he felt a pang in his chest. He hated seeing her like that. He always hated seeing her cry. "Yakumo-kun," She whispered as she placed her forehead on his arm. "Do you hate me?"

"What are you talking about now?" He asked her with a sigh. He turned around to look at her, placing his hand on her head. Of course, he didn't expect her to push it away. "What's wrong? What makes you say something like that?"

"I don't...I don't understand." She began, standing up straight as she tried to take a few steps back. Tears were streaming down her face while she looked at him. "You've...you don't care about me. Sometimes I wonder why you even married me at all. You...you don't love me, so why? Why did you marry me? I don't...I don't understand. You don't care about me, right?"

Why was she doing this to him? Was that how she really felt? "You know that's not true, so stop saying nonsense."

"You know what, Yakumo?" She said quietly, wiping her tears away as she sniffed. "Sometimes...sometimes it feels like we're not even married. You never...never pay attention to me." She was starting to have a bit trouble breathing since her crying was getting in the way. "I know...I know you have work, but...but I want to be with you. I want to be with you soooo badly, but you don't care. You never make an effort to be with me..."

Yakumo didn't say anything as he suddenly felt his anger wash away. For some reason, he began to feel a little guilty since it seemed that she hadn't gotten drunk because of him. Was he really causing her that much stress? Why didn't she say so before? Getting closer to her, Yakumo grabbed her hands before he lifted her chin with his finger. She looked up at him, tears crawling down her cheeks. "Calm down, Haruka. You don't know what you're saying right now."

"I do know what I'm saying! I know perfectly well what I'm saying!" She tried to pull herself away from him, but Yakumo didn't let her. He grabbed her arms tightly preventing her from going anywhere. She was being so difficult, but it was understandable. She was hurt and it was all his fault.

"Tell me, Yakumo-kun...tell me." She paused, bending her head and covering her eyes with her hair. "Tell me now if you don't want to be with me...just tell me now. It's not too late..." She suddenly began to drown in her own tears. "It's not too late to...to divorce."

"What in the world made you think of something so stupid?" Yakumo asked her, trying to shake away her cold words. Even though he didn't like to admit it, her words were actually scaring him.

"You did!" She exclaimed out of nowhere, surprising him a little. She pushed him away and quickly stumbled toward the back of the sofa. She leaned her body on top of it as she tried to catch her breath. This was all too much for her and it was definitely too much for him to handle. "You did! You don't love me, Yakumo-kun! It's soooo obvious that you're embarrassed of me! You never want to kiss me or hug me in public! Did you think I wouldn't notice that?! You don't even wear your wedding ring because you don't want people to know that you're married at all!"

"Do you want me to spell out everything for you?!" He snapped at her, getting a little angry himself. "Are you that stupid?"

"You're right!" She said, shaking her head back and forth. "You're right. I'm completely useless. I'm not good at anything...I can't cook. I can't take care of the house. I can't take...can't take care of you." She began to cry again as she sat down on the floor. She curled her knees, placing her head on top of them. "Is that why you're ashamed of me? I'm really...Am I the worst wife on the planet? You don't need me..."

How was he suppose to explain it to her? How was he suppose to tell her his feelings? He had always struggled to say things like that. He was never good at expressing himself. Yakumo walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her. This time, she didn't bother to move away from him. He placed his hand on her cheek, but she turned away. Then in a low whisper she said, "I don't even remember...the last time you said that you loved me."

"Don't say that I don't care about you because I do." He told her really softly, hoping she would finally listen to him. He grabbed her face with both his hands to find her blushing a faint shade of pink. "If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me. Do you think I would marry you out of pity?"

"Maybe-"

"You're wrong." He said through his teeth, pulling her a bit closer. "I would never do something like that. I married you because I wanted to be with you always. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Yes...yes, it is because you never demonstrate it to me." She told him, snapping her eyes shut and probably trying to prevent her tears from coming out. "All I want is something to know that you're proud of having me as your wife... You don't-"

He didn't let her finish because, by that point, he was pressing his lips tightly against hers. She squirmed a little at first, but it wasn't long before she calmed down, her insecurities washing away with his. That's where she belonged. She belonged in his arms and in no one else's. Even though he didn't like to admit to himself, Yakumo was head over heels for that knucklehead and he would do anything for her. Of course, he never something like that out loud and he hoped she didn't forced to.

They parted from each other and Yakumo was relieved to see Haruka much more calm. She was still sniffing out her last tears, but he was glad to see her tantrum gone. He lowered his head a little and helped her wipe away her tears with his fingers. "Don't do this to me ever again."

"I'm sorry, Yakumo!" She suddenly exclaimed, placing her head on his chest and her arms around his body. Her touch was warm even though she still reeked like alcohol. "I'm soooo sorry! I love you so much! I don't want a divorce! I'll die!"

"I know. I know." Yakumo said to her as he patted her head. He helped her stand up before he picked her up gently, bridal style, making her squeal silently. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her hands around his neck. She was probably scared to fall. "Please. Don't ever get yourself drunk again. I won't be able to take it next time."

"Yakumo? Do you love me? Do you really love me?" She asked him in a small whisper, her voice full of exhaustion. She cuddled herself closer to him while he began to walk toward the bedroom. He opened the door and sat her on top of the bed.

"I told you already." Yakumo said quickly, trying to avoid her teary eyes. The wrong words could probably cause another tear outbreak. Yakumo wanted to avoid that by all means since it was painful for him. "I don't like to repeat myself. Stay here. I'm going to make you a cup of coffee or something."

He would have never known that she felt that way. He always assumed that she was alright because she never said anything to him. She never said that she needed more effort from his part. Still, why didn't it ever occur to him that she was feeling that way? After everything they went through, he was suppose to know her better than anyone. He should have been able to prevent her anguish and her loneliness.

Then again, there were still so many things she didn't know about him. She didn't know that he had never had a girlfriend until her. She didn't know that she was his first love. She didn't know that she was the first one for everything. She made him feel things that he had never felt before and up until that day, he was still learning many new things from her. He was still learning how to be the husband she believed he was.

She considered him perfect, but he was nowhere near perfection. He was human. He was human just like her, just like Gotou, just like anyone else. The only difference was that he was born with the ability to see the souls of the dead. Because of that, Yakumo thought he would always live in his splendid isolation. Never did it cross his mind that he was going to fall for someone. He never thought in a million years that he was going to find that perfect someone to spend with for the rest of his years. Even though she was kind of slow and a big idiot, she was meant to be with him. She was his idiot.

There's only so much he could do, though. He couldn't always be with her because of work. He couldn't always give her that attention she wanted because work. Still, he promised himself to change that. He would try to show his feelings more to her and he would try to show her that he was extremely proud of having her as his wife.

By the time, Yakumo made it back to the bedroom, Haruka had already fallen into deep sleep. He silently sighed as he looked at the mug in his hands. Placing it on top of the night table, Yakumo sat down on the edge of the bed and stared down at her.

Without even realizing it, he began to caress her cheeks with his fingers as he admired her features. He always thought that he was the only guy stupid enough to find her beautiful, but now he realized that he maybe wasn't the only one. It angered him to think that there were other pests flying around her.

Yakumo stayed that way for a while before he laid down next to her. He embraced her tightly, convincing himself that no one else could possibly replace her. She mumbled something underneath her breath before she scooted herself closer to him. She still reeked like alcohol, but that didn't matter in that moment. He would make sure to give her a good lecture tomorrow when she was back in her senses and he would make sure to tell her that she wasn't alone.

That's why they got married; so they could be together.

...


	12. Refreshed

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Well, chapter 30 came out today for PDY and I was really glad about it, but it's just not enough for me. I really want more. I want to know what happens next! I want to see a Yakumo and Haruka moment! I'm fan-girling again. I guess it can't be helped. *Sigh*_ _Putting that aside, t__his is clearly not one of my best chapters and I feel like there was a lot of Yakumo OOCness. I apologize for that. I always have trouble writing about him or in his POV because of his personality. Quite difficult._

_Anyways, a thanks to all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations! I'll probably be updating again sometime this week. I'm just so excited! :)_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 12 – Refreshed**

The bright sun was hitting her face, not letting her finish her sleep. She wanted to open her eyes, but she felt them almost glued together. She groaned to herself, turning around and placing the bed sheets over her face. She felt horribly sick and she felt like throwing up. Her entire body seemed to be in pain and a massive headache was starting to form.

Haruka yawned as she threw her bed sheets to her side. She slowly opened her eyes, one by one. The brightness coming from the window blinded her a bit, making her unable to see the room. Where was she? Haruka closed her eyes again, rubbing them with her knuckles before she tried to open them again. It was then that Haruka realized that she was in her bedroom.

What had happened? She couldn't exactly remember since her memory was a bit blurred. She remembered hanging out with her friends, but after that, Haruka had trouble recalling anything. With this in mind, she slowly sat up from the bed to feel a throb inside her head. It hurt so much and the more she moved around, the bigger her headache became. What in the world had happened? Had she really drank that much? All she remembered was drinking one or two drinks with her friends before they left her.

Where had they gone to anyways? They had left her with someone, but with who? What did she talk about during that time? Who brought her home? Haruka didn't know the answers to any of her questions, but she wasn't about to burst her head to remember. She figured that her memory would just become clear throughout the day.

She slowly scooted herself toward the edge of the bed before she tried to stand up. Immediately, she felt herself stumbling sideways, but she was able to regain her balance thanks to the bed mattress. She took deep breaths, closing her eyes and hoping she would at least be able to make it to the bathroom. Why did she feel so utterly horrible? Were these really the effects of alcohol? If they were, then she would make sure to never drink again.

Then, a realization hit her. She quickly scanned the room, her heart pounding a little. Where was Yakumo? Had he gone to work already? Had he seen her drunk? Haruka looked down at her clothing to realize she wearing her pajamas. He probably changed her or something because there was no way she would have been able to do such a thing. Still, why couldn't she remember? Why was her memory so blurred? What exactly did she drink at that nightclub? Haruka sighed as she tried to make her way to the bathroom again.

There was no doubt about it. Yakumo was probably furious with her. She wondered if he had been the one that had brought her home or if it had been her friends. It frustrated her. It frustrated her that she couldn't remember. Groaning to herself, Haruka began to take baby steps across the room. It was only until then she began to wonder what time it was. She looked at the small digital clock that stood on the night table. Her eyes widen when she realized that it was already passed nine. She was late for work.

She began to freak out, but her body couldn't move any faster. Even so, with stumbles, Haruka made to her dresser. She leaned herself on top of it as she tried to catch her breath. She was feeling sick. She was hungry. She was thirsty. She felt dirty. She felt horrible. What could she do, though? She was in the house all by herself and she could barely even walk. Her headache couldn't let her think. How was she suppose to go to work and present herself in front of her children when she looked so horrible? Her superiors would probably fire her in that instant. That's what she got for getting drunk on a Thursday.

She should have never listened to Hana. She should have said no and come straight home from work. Then, maybe, she could have spent some time with Yakumo. She wanted to see him so badly. She wanted to be with him in that moment. Sighing to herself, Haruka was about to start looking for her phone when the bedroom door suddenly flew open. She took a step back, surprised to see Yakumo standing by the bedroom doorway. She blinked a few times, wondering if she dreaming.

"Yakumo?" She whispered to herself as she looked at him with disbelief. She could feel her face flushing red with either embarrassment or with shame. "Yakumo, what are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be at work? Why are you here?"

He didn't say anything, but his stare was enough to make her feel nervous. He didn't seem to be in one of the bestest of moods. It was probably all her fault. She had, somehow, gotten home passed out drunk. She couldn't believe she would let something like that happen to her. What type of wife was she? She began to fiddle with her fingers as she looked down at the floor. The dead silence between them was starting to drive her crazy.

"Umm, Yakumo?" Haruka began, not daring to look up at him. She lowered her head to make sure her hair covered her eyes. She didn't want him to see her like that. It was just too embarrassing. In that moment, she was just a complete mess. "I think I'm late to work."

"I already called in for you." He said in his sturdy voice, making her flinch a little. She could still feel him staring at her and she really wished the Earth could just swallow her whole. She didn't want to go through that humiliation. If she could turn back time, she would make sure to rewind everything back. "I told them that you wouldn't be able to make it to work because you were sick."

"Oh," Haruka snapped her eyes shut as she sat down on the bed. Her headache still wasn't gone, but she had other things to worry about. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

She didn't want to look up at him, so instead she just sat there silently for a couple of seconds. It wasn't long before Yakumo sat next to her. Her chest suddenly began to feel heavy and her heart skipped a beat when she felt her arm graze his. She snapped her eyes shut again, but Yakumo turned her head so that she was looking at him straight in the eyes. "Now, that you're awake and now that the alcohol has worn off," He began with a stern serious voice. "You're going to tell me what happened yesterday."

"Yakumo," Haruka suddenly exclaimed, jolting up from the bed. "I'm so sorry! I'm not really sure what happened. I can't really remember anything at all. I know I went out with Hana and Naoki because Hana wanted us to meet...her new friend." That's right. It suddenly clicked in Haruka's memory. They had gone over to the bar or whatever to meet Hana's new friend, Shirou. He was the last person Haruka remembered being with. He was sitting with her in the table when her drinking had gotten out of control.

"And?" Yakumo continued as he snapped her out of her thoughts. "Where did she take you? What happened?"

"We went to her friend's nightclub or bar or whatever it was." Haruka told him a bit nervously, feeling Yakumo's eyes straight on her. Why was he applying his detective skills on her? She felt like she was going through some sort of interrogation. She didn't like that feeling one bit. Gulping, Haruka began to play around with her fingers again. "I guess, Hana handed me a drink. I wasn't going to accept it. I really wasn't, but she kept insisting and then I figured that one was wasn't going to kill me. So, I guess, I ended up drinking it."

Haruka remained silent for a little bit as she watched Yakumo stand up from the bed. He stood in front of her with her his hands crossed, waiting for her to finish with her tale. She scratched the back of her head and try to recall some of her fuzzy memories. "I remember watching Hana and Nao go dance. I think she made him mad or something. I'm not really sure. Anyways, they left me in the table with Shirou-san. I guess, I drank more than I thought."

"I was worried about you." Yakumo suddenly blurted out, surprising her entirely and she could feel her face turning beet red. "Don't ever do that again. Do you have any idea what you made me go through?"

"I'm so sorry." Haruka replied quietly, barely a squeak. "I don't really remember anything after that. I don't even remember who brought me home. Everything is just so blurry. I hardly remember anything after the first or second drink. I don't understand why. I mean, I've drunk alcohol before and this has never happened. But, I promise it won't happen again, so please forgive me, Yakumo. Please don't be angry with me."

"Don't worry about it anymore. It's okay now." Yakumo told her; no louder than a whisper. He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Haruka's eyes widen a little, unsure of what was going on. Then she responded back and embraced him, pressing her face against his chest and letting his warmth travel throughout her body. She really did love him and when she had him so close, she felt like he actually loved her too. Maybe he did love her as much as she loved him.

"You don't have to promise anything." He whispered again before he let his voice die out in the silent mild room. He patted her hair in that special way which made her heart flutter. "I'm the one that should promise to take care of you better."

"Yakumo." Haruka said to herself before they pulled apart. She couldn't help it. In that moment, she was feeling so happy. Her happiness was overwhelming her chest. She gave him a warm smile as she tried her best to prevent her tears of joy from slipping out. "Thank you so much."

He cleared his throat before started walking to the bedroom door. Without looking back at her, he said, "Why don't you take a shower and get changed? I'll go warm up your breakfast."

She couldn't believe. She simply couldn't believe everything that was going on. She expected Yakumo to be furious with her. She expected him to scold at her. Instead, he was acting really nice and sweet toward her. She couldn't remember the last time they had eaten breakfast together and as far as she knew, Yakumo had never cooked her anything before either. She wondered why he was acting that way. Even so, Haruka wasn't planning to complain about it.

So, Haruka did what she was told. She took a cool relaxing shower and she was glad that her headache was starting to subside. She changed into some fresh clean clothing, finally relieved to be out of her sweaty sticky pajamas. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair, which was starting to grow longer. She didn't step out her bedroom until she knew that she was presentable enough. When she finally stepped into her living room, she was surprised to Yakumo in the middle of a discussion with Gotou.

"What do you mean you can't go?!" Gotou told him as he unintentionally slammed his fist on the table. Yakumo, leaning against wall, didn't budge from expressionless face. "You told me yesterday that you were going to come investigate with me that photo I showed you! Why the heck are you backing away now?"

"Do I have to repeat everything to you? Just how slow are you?" Yakumo said cooly, placing his hand over his forehead. Haruka could tell that he was getting a bit frustrated. "I'm taking the day off today. I have better things I need to do right now."

"Oh, yeah?!" Gotou furrowed his eyebrows and pulled out his box of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled one out of the box, placed it in his mouth and gave Yakumo a threatening glare. "Like what? You had already agreed to check things out, so are you telling me that you're not interested anymore?!"

"Gotou-san?" Haruka suddenly interrupted which made Gotou almost drop his cigarette. He frivolously turned around to look at her with surprise written all over his face. He probably hadn't expected to see her there at all. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Oh, Haruka-chan! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" He asked her curiously, but Haruka really didn't want to explain things to him. How could she tell him that she had stayed home because she was sick with a hangover? Just how pathetic would that make her look? A proper wife would never have done something like that. Still, Yakumo found it in his heart to forgive her and he was nice enough to give her a second chance.

"Ah. I understand now." Gotou smirked to himself before he turned to look at Yakumo again suspiciously. He placed his hand on his chin as he started to analyze the situation. "I see. Yakumo took the day off so he could be with his wifey! Isn't that sweet of him?!"

"That's not it." Yakumo quickly protested which only made Haruka sighed.

"It's okay. I understand. If that's the way things are, I wouldn't mind checking out this case later. Tomorrow if you want." Gotou stated as he placed his hands in his pockets. He leaned his body against the sofa and he looked at them. "That way I can bring Isshi along too. That idiot. I don't have the damn patience to wait around for him. Only he would wake up late today."

"Haruka." Yakumo suddenly called out her name which almost made her fall back. He walked toward her, shortening their distance with every step. "I'm going to go out with Gotou for a bit. Will you be okay on your own?"

"What are you saying, Yakumo-kun?!" Haruka gave out a small laugh as she pulled on his sleeve tenderly. For some strange reason, she didn't want him to go. She wanted to be with him especially now that he was actually being more considerate toward her. "It's not like I'm a kid anymore. I'll be fine. You go one ahead, okay?"

"I'll be back in a little while." He told her before he grabbed her hand to give it a squeeze. Her heart pounded a bit faster when she notice Yakumo smiling at her. Then, he turned back around to get Gotou, who somehow ended up talking to himself. "Fine." Yakumo said to Gotou as he walked toward the door. "You win. Let's go see what's going on. This better be worth it."

Haruka watched them leave and they didn't notice her waving good-bye. Once they were gone, Haruka noticed her breakfast sitting on the counter, some rolled omelets, rice porridge, toast, and juice. She giggled to herself as she thought of Yakumo's kind gestures. They were small acts of kindness, but they still managed to make her so happy.

Maybe she was changing him after all.

…


	13. Cherry Blossoms

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_How long has it been since I last updated this story? Maybe two weeks or three? I'm so sorry about that and I hope you can forgive me. I had no time because I was taking exams. I'm wrapping up my last year of high school and I'll be going to college in August. I'll be graduating in less than two weeks and I'll be 18 in exactly one month. So many things taking place with so many changes..._

_I've been told more than once that I have a lot of grammatical errors and I must say that I am extremely sorry. I usually update my stories late at night and sometimes, well, I don't know what I'm doing. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank everyone that had been following this story! It really means a lot to me! I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 13 – Cherry Blossoms**

Yakumo never came back. He said that he would be back in a little while, but he never returned. It was already late in the afternoon and the sun was already setting, making the sky a beautiful orange red color. Haruka let out a sigh as she walked in front of Hana's door. She took in a deep breath before she knocked on the door gently. Even though it was Friday evening, Haruka hoped Hana was home. She hoped Hana would help her look for her purse since she had lost it.

Everything was silent, though, and Haruka couldn't hear anything inside. Knocking on the door again, Haruka waited patiently. It wasn't long before Haruka finally heard loud footsteps. The door slowly opened and Haruka came face to face with Hana. Out of joy, Hana squealed and quickly embraced her. She was acting like she hadn't seen her in years.

"Haru-chan, you're okay!" She said a bit too loudly. "You don't know how happy I am to see you well! You don't know how worried I got when I realized that you weren't coming to work! Naoki wouldn't stop scolding at me! He kept saying that everything was my fault! I swear! Still, I'm so glad you're alive! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Don't exaggerate, Hana. I'm fine. I was planning to go to school, but Yakumo called me in sick." Haruka told Hana as she placed her hands on her shoulders. She kindly pushed her friend off since she was starting to have trouble breathing. The entire day she hadn't really been feeling herself, but she was learning to cope with it. "I'm sorry I made you worry. As you can see, I'm okay."

"Yakumo was so mad at us!" Hana began, grabbing her hand and slowly pulling her inside her small apartment. Haruka took off her shoes and placed them beside the doorway. She looked around, quickly absorbing the smell of freshly baked cookies. Hana continued to pull her inside to the living room. "It looked like he wanted to kill us. It was so scary! He really does worry about you, Haru-chan."

Haruka tried her best to not feel flattered. "He knows that I'm not very good with alcohol. He just doesn't like to see me like that. He's not angry anymore and we already had a long talk. Everything is okay now."

Hana suddenly stopped and Haruka was surprised to find Shirou Yamazaki kneeling in front of Hana's kotatsu. Haruka couldn't believe that Hana had actually let him, almost a complete stranger, inside her house. "Hana, what is he doing here?" Haruka whispered, leaning a bit closer to her. "Why in the world did you let him come inside?"

"Stop worrying, Haruka." Hana waved her off, pushing her away with a small laugh. When Shirou noticed them, he quickly stood up a bit bashfully. "Shirou found your purse, Haru-chan. You left it in the club. Did you know that? Anyways, he just came here to drop it off. Isn't that nice of him, Haru-chan?"

Haruka didn't say anything as she watched Shirou approach her. He had her purse in his hand, but before he gave it to her, he offered her an apology. "I'm extremely sorry about what happened, Haruka-san. I had no idea I was intoxicating you that badly. Please forgive me. Everything was my fault. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay now." Haruka told him as she grabbed her purse from his hands. For some reason, Haruka wasn't very fond of him. Something kept telling her that he wasn't the right guy for Hana even though she was so infatuated with him. "Thank you for your concern, though."

Hana grabbed her hand again and made her sit down in front of the kotatsu. She quickly sat in front of her, but before she even had a chance to speak, Shirou interrupted her. "If you don't mind Hana-chan, I'm going to serve Haruka-san some of that delicious tea you made earlier."

"Alright." Hana replied as she watched him walk away. When he was gone, Hana turned her attention back to her. Hana's happiness and enthusiasm were suddenly washed away, letting out a long depressed sigh. "It's so sad, Haru-chan. I'm really trying really hard to hold in my tears, but I can't anymore. I really can't. It's just too depressing to even think about and you don't know how happy I am that you came here. I can finally let go of some of this sadness."

"What's wrong?" Haruka quickly said, leaning forward a little. "Hana, you're starting to scare me. What's wrong? Is everything okay? Is your mom doing well?"

"It has nothing to do with that really." Hana began as she placed a strand of her long hair behind her ear. She let out another sigh and placed her head on top of her hands. "Shirou told me that he's leaving Japan in a couple of days. Can you believe that? I only just met him and he's already leaving. It's just not fair. I was really starting to like him and everything. I wanted to get to know him better and I wanted to start something formal with him. I would have loved to him as my boyfriend. I would have loved to have settled down with him for good. I'm the only woman my age that's still single. It's just not normal."

"You can't just go with the first guy you see because you're feeling desperate, Hana. That's just wrong. Things won't work out that way."Haruka told her even though her own words could also reflect her. "Besides, age had nothing to do with this. Naoki is almost the same age as you and he's also single."

"Naoki? He's single because he wants to be." Hana told her, crossing her hands a bit angrily. "It's clear that that third grade teacher has been calling dibs on him since forever and the reception lady in the counselors office is always giving him stuff too. He's pretty popular and it annoys me that he doesn't even care. I honestly don't know what he's waiting for. He should just pick one and get married already. Geez."

"Maybe he's waiting for that special someone too." Haruka told her and that's when she saw Shirou coming in from the kitchen with two cups in his hands. "Or maybe he already found her, but she doesn't seem to take notice of his feelings."

"Here, you go, girls." He told them, placing a cup in front of them. Hana quickly smiled at him and pulled her cup closer to her. She probably didn't want him to notice that she been in the verge of tears because of him. "I'll be right back. I need to make a call. I didn't notice I had a missed call from my brother. Please excuse me."

Hana waved him off and sighed when Shirou went by the doorway to talk. She turned to look back at her, continuing their conversation. "What in the world are you talking about, Haru-chan? Who would Naoki possibly be interested in? He's like a stone, a cranky annoying stone. If he does like someone, then it's probably the librarian. Now, that I think about it, they make a pretty nice couple. She's quiet and pretty introverted. I have to admit that the way she looks and dresses is pretty odd. Her long skirts have always been a mystery to me and not to mention her huge glasses. Her nappy hair doesn't help her either, but I'm sure Naoki could see past all that."

"I don't think Naoki likes the school librarian." Haruka told her, grabbing her tea. She looked down at it to realize that it was cherry blossom tea. "I think Naoki likes you, Hana."

Hana almost choked on her tea before she began to laugh hysterically. Haruka could tell just by looking at her that she fake laughing. Her face was bright red and she was trying to avoid her gaze as much as possible. Haruka sighed and decided to take a sip of her tea. "What in the world are you saying?!"

"How can you not tell?!" Haruka exclaimed, grasping her cup tightly. "How can you be so dense, Hana!? I mean, I know I'm not realy good at those kinds of things either, but it's so obvious Naoki likes you. He always staring at you and he's always looking out for you. Haven't you noticed? It's clear that he cares a lot about you."

"There's no way that's true." Hana protested as Haruka took another sip of tea. It was already getting a bit cold and she wondered how long Hana had had it sitting around. "The only thing he ever does is critize me. Everything I do is wrong and I don't think he's ever said one nice thing to me. There's no way he likes me. There's just no way that's even possible, so stop kidding around."

"Fine then. I guess there's not much I can say to convince you." Haruka told her, putting down her empty cup of tea on the table. She grabbed her purse and stood up before she looked down at Hana who was still blushing. "Anyways, I really should get going now. I only dropped by to see if you had my purse. Thank you for the tea. It was really good."

"No, problem." Hana told her, standing up right after her. She walked toward her and grabbed her hands. "Thank you so much for visiting. You don't visit me often. Why can't you just stay a little longer? Shirou will be leaving soon and I don't want to stay here alone."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. Yakumo is probably home already and I really don't want to worry him anymore." Haruka told her with a smile. Even though she was dense and pretty wild, Hana was her best friend and she wouldn't trade her for anything. Giving her a quick hug, Haruka began to walk toward the doorway. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Hana nodded and it was in that precise moment that Shirou came back from his call. He looked at them a bit confused before he spoke. "Hey, what's going on? Are you leaving already?"

Haruka nodded, walking right past him. She placed her shoes back on, but before she had a chance to open the door, she felt someone grab her wrist tightly. She turned around to find Shirou right behind her. Her eyes widen a little with surprise as she wondered what he was doing. He quickly let go of her hand and gave her a small smile. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll walk you out. I have to get going as well. I have some important business I need to take of with my brother."

"Shirou, you're leaving too?" Hana asked him with a pout as she crossed her hands. Shirou walked toward her and placed his hands over her face. They stared into each other's eyes and Haruka could see Hana being absorbed into Shirou's gaze. "Why can't you stay here longer? You're leaving soon aren't you? I want to spend more time with you before you leave."

"I'm very sorry, Hana, but I have to go now." He told her before he leaned down to give her a kiss in the cheek. Hana's face flushed red again, but this time, she didn't try to hide it. "I'll come visit you tomorrow if I can, okay? We can even go on a date. What do you say? Do you accept to go on a date with me?"

Hana nodded excitedly, but by that point, Haruka wasn't feeling too well again. For some reason, she was starting to feel a bit nauseous and dizzy. She had been feeling like that all day, but her symptoms were starting to get worse. She opened the door, glad to feel the fresh air hit her face. "Well, Hana, I'll see you later. Take care of yourself, okay?"

That's all she managed to say before she stepped outside her apartment. She walked toward the stairway and quickly went down the stairs. She wanted to get home and take some medicine before she really got sick. She couldn't afford to get sick since she didn't want to miss anymore school days. If she did manage to get sick, she hoped her illness would go away before Monday. Haruka was about to reach the sidewalk when she heard someone calling out her name. She didn't have to turn around to know that it was Shirou Yamazaki.

"Haruka-san, I'm so glad I caught up to you." He told her a bit out of breath. Haruka didn't say anything as she stared at him. He leaned himself on his knees before he stood up straight with a smile. "It's getting pretty late, Haruka-san. I don't think it's safe for a woman like you to be walking out alone at this time. I can walk you home if you like."

"It's okay. I'll be fine." Haruka insisted, but something was definitely wrong with her. She was really having trouble breathing and her vision was starting to get blurry. She rubbed her eyes and quickly concluded that she was just tired. She had stayed in the house and done chores all day. "Thank you for offering."

"Haruka-chan, you don't look so well." He told her with a concerned voice. He took a few steps toward her and she could feel him only inches away. Still, something was wrong with her. Her body wasn't responding well to her anymore and she was starting to lose her balance. The whole world felt like it was spinning. "You're face is getting pale. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

"I said I was fine!" Haruka suddenly snapped at him as she pushed him away. She gave him one last glare before she began to walk away. She didn't his company and she didn't want him near her. Even though she was having trouble breathing, Haruka increased her pace. She wanted to get home already. If she would have known that she was going to get sick, then she wouldn't have come to Hana's apartment at all.

A massive headache was starting to form and Haruka quickly walked over to a light post so she could sustain herself. She was starting to have trouble standing up and her breathing was starting to go out of control. She could feel her heart racing. It was beating so fast like if she had just run a marathon. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling that way? Haruka grabbed her purse from her shoulder. She needed her cell phone. She needed to call Yakumo. She needed to tell him that she wasn't feeling well.

She managed to pull her cell phone out, but her purse went tumbling to the ground. She quickly opened it, glad to see it still had some battery left. She somehow dialed his number and waited. She waited and waited, but she was directed to the voicemail. Tears began to form in Haruka's eyes since she couldn't take it anymore. She was starting to feel an unbearable pain in her chest. She was about to dial Yakumo's number again, but her phone slipped right out of her fingers. She looked down at it and was surprised to see a hand picking it up.

"I told you I could walk you home. Are you always this stubborn?" It was him. It was Shirou Yamazaki. Haruka looked up at him at the same moment the light post turned on. "I told you that you didn't look well. You need help and I think I'm the only here that can give it to you."

"Why are you following me? I told you that I'm feeling just fine!" Haruka suddenly snapped at him only to feel the pain in her chest get worse. Her chest felt like if it had just been hitten really hard with a ball. Ignoring her pain, Haruka forced herself to stand up. "Leave me alone, okay! I don't need your help so quit bothering me already."

Just like that, Shirou grabbed her hair and pulled her toward him. He quickly covered her mouth, not giving her a chance to scream. He held her tightly by the waist with his other hand, restraining her from all movements. She wanted to push herself away, but she couldn't. He was just too strong for her and she couldn't do much in her current condition. With every passing second, Haruka kept feeling worse and worse. Shirou leaned his face closer to hers, his mouth hovering just above her ear. Haruka snapped her eyes shut in disgust when she felt him lick her ear.

"I've had my eye on you for a while now." He began which caused Haruka's tears to escape from her eyes. What was going on? What was happening? "You'll definitely bring me some good profit or so he said. You're too old for my liking, but it still works out."

Haruka was starting to lose consciousness, but she could still feel Shirou hissing in her ear. She could feel him pushing her and forcing her to walk toward the alley that was just ahead of them. "It's okay, Haru-chan. You're not going to die yet. I just managed to slip some drug in your tea."

She wanted to scream, but she felt like if the air had been sucked right out of her lungs. Why? Why was this happening to her? Despite her blurry vision, Haruka was able to make out a big black van that was parked in the alley. A man stepped out of the van and opened one of the doors. "Don't worry, Haru-chan. The drug won't ruin your organs and I promise to distribute them carefully."

Haruka wanted to break herself free, but it was useless. He pushed her inside the van and the other man quickly began to tie her up. Her mouth was taped and her hands and legs were tied with a hard thick rope. Her eyes were starting to close and she was starting to feel herself float away. "When your husband finds you tomorrow, you'll be dead."

That was the last thing Haruka heard before everything went black.

…


	14. Unbearable

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I posted two chapters at the same time because I needed to make up for all the time I was gone. Also, I was technically going to combine chapter 14 and 15 together, but I decided not to. It was better this way for me. If I would have updated earlier, but tumblr kept distracting me. That's no surprise, though._

_Anyways, thank you for everyone that's following this story! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! Also, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope these two chapters meet your expectations!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 14 - Unbearable **

Something was wrong. He could sense it. He wasn't sure what that uneasy feeling was, but it was something he simply couldn't ignore. He kept looking around to see where there danger was, but there was nothing. Everything was quiet and peaceful. As hard as he tried to push away his uneasiness, Yakumo just couldn't think straight. He was having trouble focusing on the case that Gotou had kind of forced him to participate in.

Personally, he was pretty exhausted. Gotou had practically took him all over town, trying to find the ghost of the girl that had appeared in the photo. Of course, they had no luck anywhere which was a bit odd. They went to her death site, to her grave, and the area where she was last scene. Strangely enough, there wasn't a trace of her ghost.

"Are you sure it's a legit photograph?" Yakumo told him as he crossed his hands. He looked at Gotou who was pacing back and forth in the laboratory entrance. He looked just as anxious as him, but in reality, that wasn't anything new. Yakumo knew that Gotou always tended to get emotional during cases. "What exactly are you looking for anyways? You brought me along to find the ghost of this girl, who apparently has no family, no home, and no relatives. Why? What's your purpose?"

"What's my purpose?!" Gotou asked a bit frustrated as he turned to look at him. Yakumo rolled his eyes and checked his watched. It was about to be eight and knowing how late it was only made him nervous. His foot began to tap on the floor impatiently and there was no way for him to stop it.

"By the way, where did you get these photos?" Yakumo asked him as he pulled one out of his pocket. He looked at it, analyzing the girl's ghost thoroughly for the millionth time. Even though his eyes were glued to the picture, Yakumo's mind was wandering off somewhere else. Haruka kept popping in and out of his mind. "It looks real, but it could just be fake. Maybe it's some sort of trick?"

"Of course they're not fake. At least I don't think they are." Gotou told him as he pulled out his cigarette box. He carefully pulled one out and placed it in his mouth. He turned to look at Yakumo with a concern look on his face. "I wouldn't have gotten involved with this if Hijikata-san hadn't given me those pictures. The police hasn't taken her into consideration at all because she an unknown girl. No one knows who she is. There isn't any records of her. We don't even know her name."

Gotou pulled out his lighter and lit his cigarette. Yakumo would have told him something about his smoking, but he wasn't in the mood to joke. He just wanted the day to end so he could go home. "Anyways, I decided to investigate this girl with Isshi so we could at least capture the person who murdered her. It's the least we could do for her now."

"She lived a hard life." Yakumo commented, handing the picture back to Gotou. He sighed as he leaned himself on the wall. Why did he keeping thinking about Haruka? Yakumo didn't understand why she kept popping inside his mind. Was it guilt? Was he feeling guilt because he never went back like he promised he to? That was probably it. "Apart from the hardships she probably went through, she was kidnapped, sold off and then killed."

"That pretty much sums it up." Gotou told him as he stood up straight. He pulled his cigarette from his mouth and placed it in the disposal bin that was hung on the wall. "Well, we're not going to get anything done if we just sit around here. We should go check out the place in the picture again. The sun is starting to set. Maybe her ghost will appear this time and we can finally catch that murderer. I'm sure she's not the first it has killed."

Yakumo watched Gotou head toward the exit, but he stayed in his spot. He felt obliged to follow him and he wanted to help him, but at the same time, he knew that he couldn't. He needed to get home. Sighing to himself, Yakumo followed Gotou outside the laboratory, but stopped him before he opened the car.

"I think we should continue this tomorrow." Yakumo told him as he scratched the back of his head a bit embarrassed. It wasn't like him to back away from a job, but he decided to make an exception. "I'm through for today."

"What?! Why?" Gotou asked him as he pulled the door open. He began to stare at him intensely, waiting for an explanation. "There's still plenty of sunlight left. Do you know what we can get done? Don't give up now, Yakumo. We'll come up with something soon or later. We always do."

"You mean I always do." Yakumo added for him as he opened the passenger seat for himself. Instead of climbing on, he looked up at the beautiful orange red sky. "You wouldn't get anything done if it wasn't thanks to me. You're actually somebody thanks to me."

Gotou laughed to himself while he leaned his body against his car, but Yakumo could tell that it was pure sarcasm. "Yeah, right and thanks to me you actually have a job, so show some more appreciation."

Yakumo wasn't listening anymore, though. His body was completely frozen and he was no longer looking at Gotou, who was still talking on. He could hear him, but his voice was getting farther and farther away. He was no longer focused on him. He was no longer focused on anything. His mind managed to block everything away. He couldn't believe it. He could believe what he was seeing.

"Hey, Yakumo?" He could hear Gotou saying from a distance, but Yakumo couldn't reply. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He could hardly breath. He just couldn't believe it. "What's wrong with you? Your face just went pale? What are you looking at? Hey, are you listening? What the heck are you staring at? I don't see anything. Unless...wait, Yakumo! What do you see?!"

"She's here." His mouth had gone dry and for the first time, in many many years, Yakumo felt scared. He was afraid, almost terrified. "She's standing before me."

"Who is?" Gotou asked him as he stood next him. "Is it her? Is it the ghost that we've been looking for all this time? But why? It doesn't make any sense! Why would she appear here of all places?! C'mon, Yakumo! Tell me!" He grabbed his the collar of his shirt and began to shake him back and forth with desperation. Yakumo unconsciously pushed him off before he adjusted his gaze to the ghost again. "Yakumo, you bastard! If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll crack your skull open! Is it the girl's ghost?! Is it her?!"

"It's not her." Yakumo suddenly responded, taking a step back. By that point, he was having trouble breathing and he could feel a massive throb inside his chest. He placed his hand over his forehead, understanding that he was starting to lose control of his actions.

"Dammit, Yakumo! Snap out of it!" Gotou told him, grabbing his collar again. This time he threaten to punch him as he held his fist in the air. "You're starting to scare the hell out of me! What the hell is going on, Yakumo?! Is it or is not the girl we've been looking for?!"

"It's not her." Yakumo repeated. "It's Ayaka."

That caused Gotou to drop dead silent.

"She's not talking to me." Yakumo told him, which caused him to take another step back. He didn't understand why Ayaka wasn't talking to him. She wasn't doing anything which was sending Yakumo to the brink of madness. She was just standing before him with tears in her eyes. She was just staring at him without doing anything. "She's probably in trouble. She probably needs me."

Could it be that Haruka was in danger? Yakumo could feel himself getting a bit dizzy from the frustration of not knowing where to go. Then, it was in that moment, that Ayaka's spirit turned around and began to run. She began to run with all her might without looking back.

"Gotou-san! Give me your keys and get inside the car!" Yakumo exclaimed as he turned to look at Gotou who still probably hadn't grasped on to the situation. Still, Gotou did what he was told without questioning. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Yakumo. Without wasting any time, Yakumo dashed over to the driver's seat and turned on the car in a heartbeat. "Dammit! Why didn't I realize it sooner!?"

He slammed his fist on the steering wheel as he watched Ayaka waiting for him in the corner. She had done this before, so it could only mean one thing; Haruka was in trouble. Once Gotou was inside the car, Yakumo didn't hesitate to step on the gas pedal with full might.

"Hey, Yakumo!" Gotou began, quickly putting on his seatbelt. Yakumo wasn't paying attention to him though. He was looking at Ayaka who was running. She was showing him where Haruka was and there was no way Yakumo was going to risk losing sight of her. He followed her with Haruka on his mind. "What the heck is going on?! What's Ayaka doing here?! Did something happen to Haruka-chan?!"

"I hope not." Yakumo said to himself, ignoring the red light that had just flashed on the traffic light. He could feel his eyebrows furrowing with anger. He could feel his hands quivering with fear. He could feel chest aching with regret. "She better be okay."

Why? Why didn't he take care of her better? Why did he leave her? Why didn't he go back like the way he had promised? Why was work always more important? Why didn't he just stay with her? There were so many questions running through Yakumo's mind, but his regrets were slowly starting to pile up. They were starting to overwhelm him and he didn't know how much more he could take. The anger he was feeling toward himself was simply unbearable.

He just hoped he would make it in time.


	15. Fading

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_So yeah, I decided to split chapter 14 in half and make them into two chapters instead. _

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 15 - Fading**

Her head was throbbing like crazy. Her feet and hands felt numb. She could hardly breath and she was having difficulty opening her eyes. She groaned in pain, but she was too weak to move. She felt like if all her energy had been drained from her body. What scared her the most was the fact that she could barely feel her heartbeat. What had happened to her? Where was she? Was she dying?

"So I see you're awake. The drug didn't last as long as I would have liked. I guess I'm going have to inject you before the operation." Someone was speaking to her, but she didn't know who it was. The voice was raspy and threatening. Who was there? "So, did you dream anything nice?"

He laughed and his laughed echoed throughout the entire place. Haruka was scared and she didn't exactly know what was going on. Her memory was hazy and she was having trouble remembering what had happened. She wanted to open her eyes, but she was scared. She scared of who she would find. "Yakumo..."

"If you're calling that pathetic husband of yours, you shouldn't even waste your time." He told her and Haruka could hear him getting closer. She could hear footsteps approaching her. "He's not coming. When he finds you, your corpse will probably be in a dumpster somewhere. Of course, it'll be too late by then."

Haruka managed to open her eyes to realize that she was in a dark room. There was only a few red light bulbs that were hung on the wall. There was a foul smell of blood all over the place which made Haruka feel even more nauseous than she already was. She placed her hand over her mouth as she began to cough. Where was she? Who had brought her there? "Where am I? Who are...you? What are...you going to do...to me?"

It was in that moment, that she came face to face Shirou Yamazaki. It was him. She remembered that he had been the one that had pulled her inside a van. He was the one that had kidnapped her. Without giving her time to react, he grabbed her hair and forced her to sit up. Haruka yelped in pain, feeling the entire room spinning. She was dizzy and if she hadn't been laying on top of some ugly mattress, she probably would have fallen already. Shirou held her close to him, ignoring her pain completely. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"You're going to die today, Haruka-chan." He hissed in her ear, making her body shiver with terror. She could feel her tears swelling inside her eyes and it wasn't long before she really started crying. She wanted Yakumo. She wanted him to come save her. She wanted to call out to him. She wanted to see Yakumo. She didn't want to die without seeing him and telling him how much she loved him. "I'm going to cut you open. I'm going to extract everything I need from your body and sell it off. I already got a nice long list of clients that are waiting for your organs. Of course, they're mostly doctors and people who desperately want to live even though it will cost another human life."

"Why? Why are you...doing this?" She asked him, but her question only infuriated him. He pulled her up by the hair, making her stand up. Haruka's breathing was starting to go out of control as her eyes snapped shut from dizziness. It wasn't until then that she realized that she couldn't keep herself up. Her body felt lose and if Shirou let go of her, she would surely fall down.

"Why? Because I can!" He yelled in her ear before he pushed her down on the mattress again. She opened her eyes again to find him standing up next to her, looking down at her with hateful eyes. "This brings a lot more money than the hospital anyways! Do you know how frustrating it was to work there!? No, you probably don't! You probably don't understand anything! You're too stupid to understand anything!"

He leaned down before he pulled her hair again. Haruka yelped in pain again, afraid that he would yank her entire head off. "I was a surgeon. A rookie surgeon if that's what you want to call it. Still, I knew what I was doing. I was operating her, but she died. She died in mid-operation! There was nothing I could do about it! There was nothing I could have done! It just happened! It was a fucking accident, but did they understand?! Did they even bother to hear me out?! No! They gave consent! They gave consent to that damn operation, so why the hell were they putting all the blame on me?!"

Haruka was afraid to look at him, so when she slightly turned her head in another direction, he grabbed her face forcefully again. "Do you understand what I'm saying?!" He laughed, but Haruka could only cry. He was insane. He was clearly insane. "Of course you don't. You know what happened to me next?! I got fired and they took my license away. Those miserable fools ripped away the thirteen years of college I had accomplished! It's okay, though. I have this now. Which makes me ten times what I used to earn in the hospital."

Haruka couldn't stop crying and she kept calling Yakumo mentally inside her head. She wanted him. She wanted him to come and save her. "Yakumo..." Her voice kept trailing off because her mouth was so dry. "Yakumo, please come for me..."

"I told you he's not coming. There's no way he's ever finding this place." He told her as he began to caress her hair. Haruka tried to move away from his reach, but she couldn't. She couldn't escaped from him. The drug was still effective inside her body. It was slowing her down and making her unresponsive. "Hey, you! Isamu! Is the room ready?!"

Haruka heard a faint yes which sent chills running throughout her body. What was he talking about? What were they going to do to her? "Well, this is it then." He told her in a whisper. He picked her up from the mattress and held her tightly. Haruka wanted to push herself away. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to run. She wanted to leave. There were so many things Haruka wanted to do, but she couldn't do anything. She was trapped. She trapped in the hands of her kidnapper.

He carried her away from the room and he began to walk down a long narrow hallway. Haruka was scared. She was terrified and she could feel her tears flowing down her cheeks rapidly. She faintly began to squirm around, but she didn't have any affect at all. Shirou was too strong for her and there was no way her little movements was going to cause him to drop her. Even if he did, she wouldn't be able to get far.

"Please..." Haruka began, trying get away from as much as possible. She didn't want to feel his body pressed against hers. He didn't want him holding her. She wanted to be with Yakumo. She wanted to be with him. "Leave me alone. Let me...go. I don't want...to die..."

"Save your breath." Shirou told her as he increased his grip on her body. She coughed again, feeling a knot in her throat. "If you have anything to say, just save it. I don't want to hear it. It's useless. There's no way I'm letting you go especially since we're already here."

Haruka turned her head to find a door with a sign that said to stay out. Then it slowly began to open with a creak, allowing Shirou to step inside. Immediately, Haruka felt a stronger odor of blood suffocating her and making it harder for her to breath. She began to wheeze for some fresh air, but Shirou wasn't paying attention to her.

Haruka looked around the room to find lots of clear jars. They were stacked all over the place and some of them were stained while others weren't. The room was much more lit up than the other room, but the light was only focusing on one spot. The light from the lamps were only focusing on a flat white looking platform, a bed cot. Haruka began to tremble in fear as they approached it. Then, without a second to spare, Shirou laid her down on top of it.

"Please...stop." Haruka pleaded, feeling her eyes overflowing with tears. Of course, he ignored her. "I don't want to die...not yet. Yakumo...Yakumo..."

"Okay, now, hold still." Another man approached her and his face was covered, so Haruka couldn't see who he was. The only thing she could clearly make out was the needle he had in his hand. He squirted some of the liquid in the air before he turned his attention back to her. He grabbed her arm, focusing in the veins on her forearm. Haruka wanted to move away, but she could feel Shirou holding her body tightly from the other side. "I said to hold still! Do you want me to inject your face?!"

Without a second warning, the man injected the liquid inside her body before dropping her arm rashly. Not knowing what to expect, Haruka quickly closed her eyes, but her mind and her heart were still calling out for Yakumo. "We'll have to see how her body reacts to it." The man said, but Haruka could feel herself starting to doze off again. "It could take several minutes before it starts to go into effect."

"Why do we have to do it this way?" It was Shirou. He was talking, but Haruka didn't know where he was. She didn't know if he was near her or not.

"Because, we want the organs to be in perfect condition. Especially hers." The other man said and Haruka suddenly felt him press his finger against her neck. He was probably checking her pulse, her heart beat. "It's working. Let's start getting everything ready. I think we'll be able to start in a couple of minutes or so. Maybe in half an hour max."

Haruka could feel herself slipping away. She could only see herself surrounded by darkness. She could hear Shirou and the other man talking, but she couldn't make out their words anymore. It sounded like gibberish. It sounded like they were speaking a different language. She could no longer open her eyes and she couldn't move her body at all. She had become as stiff and still as rock.

Yakumo...

She began to remember. She began to remember so many things. She remembered her first meeting with Yakumo. She remembered the first time Yakumo had risked his life to save her. She remembered the day Yakumo confessed to her. She remembered their first kiss. She remembered their wedding. She remembered their first night together. They good and happy memories that were filling her chest with unforgotten warmth.

Yakumo...

Still, she could feel her heart slowing down a bit and she could feel her breaths becoming longer and more painful. She couldn't hear much anymore. She could only hear faint mumbling and a constant buzzing. Everything was starting to seem like a dream. She didn't know if what was happening to her was real or not.

Yakumo...

She loved him. That's the only thing she knew in that moment. She loved him. She loved him more than anything in the world. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to see him one last time. If she was going to die, then she wanted to die in his arms. She wanted to die knowing that he actually truly did love her as much as she did. She didn't want to die without hearing that three word phrase.

Yakumo...

...


	16. Overthrown

**Psychic Detective** **Yakumo**

_Yay! Chapter 16 is finally up, but if you start getting confused and wondering Yakumo came from that means you skipped chapter 14. I updated twice and well, I notice that not a lot of people didn't realize that. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank all of my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations. It's a bit short, but I hope you like it. I'm sorry for OOCness from Yakumo. I always have trouble writing out his thoughts. Don't say I didn't warn you! T-T_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 16 - Overthrown**

He followed her for several minutes or so until her spirit suddenly vanished in the middle of the road. Yakumo stepped on the brake as hard as he could since he was practically driving over the speed limit. Gotou yelled at him for not taking care of his only car, but in that moment, Yakumo didn't care about anything. He just wanted to see if she was okay. She wanted to see Haruka safe with his own two eyes.

Yakumo quickly got out the car and started looking for Ayaka again. Then, he realized that they were practically in the middle of nowhere. There were trees all over them and there wasn't a sight of human life anywhere. The only thing he could was the loud echoing of the wind. Yakumo clenched his hands together, unsure of where he should go next.

"Hey, Yakumo?!" Gotou began, grabbing his shoulder. "What the hell are you doing?! Why the hell did you drive us all the way out here?! You better not tell me that we're lost!"

"Do you think I would drive out here for nothing?" Yakumo snapped at him as he tried to keep his cool. With each passing second, though, he could feel himself losing control of his actions. He was starting to have trouble listening to his reason and logic. How could he stay calm and relax after seeing Ayaka? How could he stay composed when his wife was danger? "I was following Ayaka. She vanished right around here."

Gotou didn't say anything as he began to look around. Then, in that precise moment, Ayaka appeared again, but this time she wasn't on the road. She was standing deep inside the forest and when she realized that he had spotted her, Ayaka's spirit began to motion him to follow. Yakumo didn't waste any time and he quickly dashed off the road into the thick mass of trees. He could hear Gotou calling him, but Yakumo didn't feel like turning back to explain things to him.

Yakumo didn't run far when he finally came across an old looking house that almost seemed to be falling down. Without a moment of hesitation, he ran toward the house and headed toward the door. Of course, the door was locked. He cursed underneath his breath before he took a step back. He wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead that he had accumulated over the past few minutes as he stared intensely at the door. With an image of Haruka inside his head, Yakumo rushed to the door and kicked it opened. As worn down as the place was, the door easily came crashing down and Yakumo came face to face with a dusty vacant room with no furniture.

Where was he suppose to go next? He could start looking all around the house, but would be a waste of time and that's what he didn't have much of. "Yakumo?" It was Gotou. He was walking in right behind him, completely out of breath. "What the hell is this place?"

Yakumo didn't reply as he began to look around. He walked past a dusty dining room and a dusty kitchen to find a long narrow hallway. His eyes widen a little when he saw Ayaka standing at the end of the hallway. Her face looked more tormented than before and yet, she pointed to a room that was beside her. Then, for the first time that night, she spoke to him.

_Please save my sister._

Running again, Yakumo went inside that room like Ayaka had told him to. Of course, it was empty and there was nothing that was particularly alarming. He was scanning the empty room when he noticed a trap door on the floor. He quickly walked toward it and looked down inside to find it glowing with red light. Yakumo furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a strange ache in his chest. She was down there. He was sure of it.

Yakumo began to climb down since there were stairs that were leaning against the wall. Sure enough, the entire room was being lit with a bunch of red light bulbs, but what made the room more horrifying was the fact that it reaked with human blood. Once Yakumo's feet were planted on the floor, he rapidly walked across the room since it only contained a simple mattress. He headed toward an opening when he suddenly found himself in front of a long dark narrow hallway.

He headed down the hallway, but when he noticed a door at the end of it, he quickly ran toward it. He was about to force it open when he heard voices inside. He couldn't exactly make out what they were saying, but he knew for a fact that they were men. He looked at the sign that was hanging on the wall. It said to stay out, but that only confirmed his suspicions to go in.

Even though he could hear Gotou running from behind, telling him to wait, Yakumo didn't listen to him. He slammed the door open with the side of his body. Once again, it easily came down, but with a louder crash and a lot more dust.

"Who the hell are you?! What the heck are you doing here?!" Someone yelled at him in a snap and when Yakumo turned to look at him, he found her. Haruka was laying in a bed cot behind him. Her eyes were closed and her body didn't seem to be moving. She wasn't turning to look at him. "Who the fuck are you?"

Yakumo wasn't listening to him anymore. He could feel anger developing inside him and for the first time in he felt true hatred. His eyebrows slowly furrowed at him as he placed his hand over his red eye. What had they done to her?

"If you came to save her, you're too late." Another man, who was standing a bit farther away, told him. He picked up a needle from a nearby tray and showed it him. "I've already injected her body with a special formula that will eventually end her life."

"Wait, you're him, aren't you?" The guy with blue eyes asked him as he stepped toward him. He had a taunting grin on his face and it only got wider when he pulled out a small pistol from his pocket. He pointed it at him, but fear was the last thing Yakumo felt. "You're Yakumo Saitou, aren't you? You're this woman's husband, aren't you? If you came all this way, you must be him."

Yakumo didn't say anything as he removed his contact from his eye.

"He told me a lot about you, you know. That man. He told me to expect you coming, but I didn't believe him. I thought no one would ever be able to find this place. I guess I was wrong." He hissed at him while he took a few more steps toward him. Yakumo, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. He just stared at him with hatred. "He was the one that told me that Haruka Ozawa...Oh, ooops, my mistake, I mean Haruka Saitou would be the perfect victim. He was right. She and her stupid friend fell for my trap."

Yakumo gritted his teeth with his eyes moving toward Haruka's body.

"You just had to come to interrupt my fun." He told him with a smirk when he was only a couple of inches away from him. He placed the pistol over his forehead before he loaded it with a click. "I was about to strip your wife. You don't how excited I was to see her naked body."

That was it. Yakumo snapped. When the guy least expected him too, Yakumo knocked the pistol from his hand before he gave him punch across the face. The guy went tumbling down, but Yakumo didn't let him fall. He grabbed him by the collar, pulling him closely toward his face. "You're going to regret touching my wife with your filthy hands!"

Yakumo punched him again and again. Hatred. That's what he felt toward that guy. He hated him for putting Haruka's life in danger. He hated him for kidnapping her. He hated him to point of wishing him dead. The guy tried to defend himself, but it was completely useless. Yakumo kept going at him nonstop and the other guy was too scared to intervene. Yakumo could see the blood dripping from his mouth, but he wasn't satisfied yet. He elbowed him in the stomach before he kicked him hard to the ground. He was about to pick him up again, but Gotou stopped him.

"Yakumo, stop it! You'll kill him at this rate!" Gotou yelled at him as he grabbed him from behind. Yakumo wanted to push him off, but in that moment, he caught sight of Haruka again. He stopped squirming in Gotou's grasp and his body suddenly became loose. "I already called an ambulance! Everything is going to be okay, so just snap out of it!"

He turned his focus away from the blue eyed guy, who was wheezing and coughing out blood on the ground. Yakumo walked toward Haruka. She was laying there motionless even though she was still faintly breathing. Was she really dying? Was she really going to leave him? Yakumo caressed her cheeks, surprised to find her body cold. He picked her up, carrying her bridal style. He wanted to carry her out that horrid room, but he couldn't. His legs suddenly gave in and he fell down on his knees as a new feeling began to develop inside him; despair.

He pulled her closer to him, hoping his warmth would pass on to her body. She wasn't responding. She wasn't moving. She wasn't opening her eyes. Yakumo pushed her hair back before he placed his forehead on top of hers. He hugged her tighter and grabbed her hand with a tight squeeze. Then, he slowly pressed his lips against hers.

Why? Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't he have taken care of her better? Why didn't he get there in time? "Haruka," He whispered to her even though she probably couldn't hear him. "Hang in there."

He needed her alive because he couldn't bear to live without her. Even though he didn't usually tell her, Yakumo loved her more than anything and that's why he gathered the courage to confess his feelings and ask her to become his wife. He didn't want to see her with any other man that wasn't him. He didn't want anyone to protect her that wasn't him. She belonged to him and as selfish as it sounded, Yakumo didn't want to give her up to anyone.

Still, that wasn't enough. He couldn't save her from everything and he had failed her once again. If she died, what would become of him? He didn't want to think about that. Haruka would live. She had to stay alive. "I'll never forgive you if you give up, idiot." Yakumo continued to speak to her and strangely enough, he could hear the ambulance sirens at a distance. "Don't you know that I can't live with you, knucklehead?"

He was saying all these things when he felt something crawling down his cheeks; they were tears. He quickly wiped them away, but the more he tried to hide them, the more they kept flowing out.

Guilts and regrets began to pile up inside him and it frustrated him. It frustrated him to know that he couldn't do anything to help her. He hated himself for not being able to save her and not being able to be there for her. He should have gone back home like he had promised her to. If he would have taken care of her better, none of that would have happened.

He had failed her as her husband.

…


	17. Apologies

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Why didn't I update sooner? Well, it was a pretty busy week and I suddenly had a serious case of writer's block. I hadn't had that in a while, but I just didn't know how to start this chapter off. I would sit in front of the screen and I would start typing, but nothing would come out right. I think I finally got it today, though. Phew! _

_So, yeah. I graduated already. It was exciting, fun, emotional and sad. I started crying like crazy, not caring if make-up was going smudge all over my face. My parents were proud of me especially since I managed to graduate with high honors. Well, I'm stepping out into the real world now and I'll be an adult on the 25th, so I don't know what's scarier._

_Anyways, enough about me. I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! I really can't thank you all enough! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations! This story is going to be a rocky ride, but I hope you ride along with me!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 17 - Apologies**

The morning sun was hitting her face and straining her eyes. A gentle and soothing breeze was grazing the side of her face. She could hear voices outside her room, but she couldn't exactly recall what they were saying. She could smell the beautiful flowers that Hana had sent her. They were sitting on a small night table next to her bed. Every now and then, Haruka would turn to look at their beauty.

She was alive and that was the important thing. They had managed to get her to the hospital just in time. Of course, Haruka still felt a little nauseous and sick, but the doctor told her that those effects would go away with time. There was nothing for her to worry about. She was told that she would be fine and that her overdose had been controlled.

Still, something was wrong. Something was wrong with Yakumo. He was quiet and a bit distant toward her. He wasn't talking to her even though he never left her room. He just kept looking at her which made Haruka feel quite uncomfortable. His face showed nothing but sadness and his eyes seemed to be in deep thought. Haruka wanted to talk to him, but she had no idea what to say.

""Yakumo," Haruka began with a scratchy voice. She quickly cleared her throat before she noticed Yakumo grabbing a nearby chair to sit down next to her. Haruka pulled her blanket up a little more, letting out a deep breath. "I don't think I've thanked you for saving me."

Yakumo stayed quiet, but Haruka could see his face struck with agony. "I didn't save you." He told her a bit coldly as he placed his hand over her head. He began to brush her hair with his fingers, making Haruka's face go red. "It was your sister. She told me where you were. If she hadn't shown up, I would have never known what was happening."

Haruka really didn't want to think about the horror she had gone through. She could still remember Shirou's Yamazaki's cold touch. She could still hear his scary voice circling inside her mind. It wouldn't go away, but she tried her best to ignore it. Her memories were a bit hazy, but she could remember her desperate cry for help and she could remember how Shirou had tried to kill her. Haruka quickly shook her thoughts away and turned back to look at Yakumo. She gave him a small smile, but she didn't receive anything in return. She didn't want to worry Yakumo anymore. She had already given him enough grief.

"It's just like last time, then?" Haruka told him which caused Yakumo to nod sternly. "It was our first case together. I was able to see my sister because of you. I guess ever since then I started lik-"

Haruka wasn't able to finish her sentence because Gotou came barging in with Isshi right behind him. He quickly scolded at Yakumo, placing his hands on his hips. "Hey, Yakumo! Why didn't you tell us that Haruka was awake already? We've been waiting outside like idiots for you to come out and say something! Haruka is our friend and she's out concern too!"

Yakumo stared at him with a death glare, but he didn't say anything. He seemed kind of bothered by their presence and it seemed like he wasn't in the mood to deal with them. Gotou sighed before he turned to look at her. He gave her a goofy smile which made her chuckle. "How are you doing, Haruka-chan? Feeling okay?"

"Yes. I'm feeling much better. I feel like I've been asleep for quite a while." She began to scratch the back of her head and it was in that moment that Yakumo got up from his chair to stand up near the window. He leaned against the wall and crossed his hands with a sigh.

"Well, that's a relief. Don't you think so, Yakumo?" Gotou asked him with a sly grin, but Yakumo just turned to look away. Haruka's face dropped a little as she looked down at her bed sheet. She didn't understand why Yakumo was acting that way. "I'm glad you're okay, though. You really gave us a scare."

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more careful next time." Haruka replied with some embarrassment. It didn't matter how careful or cautious she was. For some reason, she has always been a magnet for trouble and there wasn't much she could do about it.

Then, Isshi stepped forward, but Haruka could see his flustered face. He began to fix his tie uncontrollably which only exposed him to Gotou's teasing. "Seriously, Haruka-chan," He began, taking a few steps away from Gotou. "I'm glad that you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you." He paused and Haruka wasn't sure how to react. She just made sure to not look in Yakumo's direction. "If you're ever in any trouble, don't hesitate to call us or me. I'll always be there for you too. You're my...friend after all."

"Don't worry, Isshi-san." Haruka told him with a small smile. It was nice to know that she didn't have to count on Yakumo for everthing. She had many lovely friends that really cared about her and that would always be there for her. "Everything's okay now. I'm fine, so don't worry about me. I've been in worse situations than this anyways."

"Well, that's great." Gotou replied for Isshi before he grabbed him by the back of hid collar, pulling him back a little. "We're glad you're doing okay. We just wanted to see how you were doing. We need to go back to work now. We've practically been here since dawn and I need send in a report on that bastard Yamazaki. So, we'll see you later, Haruka-chan. Take care of yourself." Then he turned to look at Yakumo. "I'll talk to you later."

Haruka waved at them and let out a sigh of relief when they were finally gone. Her body didn't seem strong enough to deal with visits from people. She was extremely grateful that they had stayed with her for so long but, in that moment, Haruka wasn't really feeling herself. She probably still had some effects from the drug Yamazaki's henchman had injected in her.

The room was quickly filled with silence, making Haruka unease again. Once again, she began debating and pondering what she should say or talk to with Yakumo. She wished he could sit down next to her again. They were starting to have a conversation before they were interrupted. When Haruka opened her moith to say something, someone else came barging inside the room. Of course, this time, it was Hana and Naoki.

"Haruka-chan!" She cried out and Haruka could literally see her eyes filled with tears. Hana stood in front of her, rubbing her eyes with a tissue. Haruka wondered who had told Hana and Naoki about her condition since she knew for a fact that it wasn't her. Maybe it was Yakumo? She doubted it, but there was still a possibility. "I'm so sorry! Everything's my fault! I should have known! I should have known better! What was I thinking?! How could I have exposed you in such a manner!? I'm never going to forgive myself! My conscious is never going to let me be in peace! Can you forgive me, Haru-chan?! Can you forgive me for everything that I've done?!"

"Hana," Haruka shook her head, giving her a smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I guess things happen for a reason. Please don't cry. I'm okay. See?"

"I know, but," She paused before she blew her nose. She walked closer to her, but Naoki stayed in his spot. He was as stiff and as serious as Yakumo. They didn't say much, but they both had their attention driven toward her. Haruka gulped silently, wishing they were a little more open. Things would be so much easier that way. "You don't know how scared I got when Naoki called me to tell me he had found your purse on the ground. It troubled me so much that I ended up calling your husband. He told me what happened. He told me about Shirou."

Hana's face was stuck with sadness as she sat down on the chair Yakumo had pulled out a couple of seconds ago. She looked down at the ground like if she was trying to hide her shame. "Why didn't I realize it sooner? You all warned me. You and Naoki. You told me to take things easy with Shirou Yamazaki. You told me that I was going to fast with him, but I didn't listen. Nao warned me that there was something strange about him, but I didn't listen to him either. I'm so stupid. How could I have been so blind?"

She started crying again and this time her tears wouldn't stop. Haruka reached out to grab her hand, but Hana didn't bother to look up at her. "I exposed you to him. I introduced you to him. It was my fault he got you drunk that night and now that I think about it, he probably got you drunk on purpose. He was probably targeting you from the start. Still, I tried to push all that away. I wanted to be with him so badly that I didn't even think about it. Look what I did to you. I almost got you killed."

"Hana, I told you already that it's not your fault." Haruka began, feeling a bit sorry for her own friend and for herself. She slowly lifted her chin with her finger so that she could look up at her. "It's okay. There's no reason for you to feel guilty and there's nothing for me to forgive. You're my best friend and I'm so happy that you're here."

"Haru-chan!" Hana broke out again and this time she hugged her tightly around the neck. She squeezed her tightly which caused Haruka some laughter. "You're too nice! I love you so much! You're the greatest friend I have ever had! You're ten thousand times better than Naoki and three billion times cuter! I could eat you up right now!"

"Hana," It was Naoki and he didn't look too pleased with Hana's unnecessary comment. "You're choking her."

"No, I'm not. I'm just giving her my love and support!" Hana told him even though she did end up letting her go. Haruka laughed a little before giving Yakumo a quick peek. He was still in his same position except he was looking out the window. "I'm not cold and stiff like you! You haven't said one thing to Haru-chan since we got here. It's like you didn't come here at all."

"We came here to visit her, not to bother her." Naoki snapped her. Then, he turned to look at her with his dark grey eyes. "I'm glad that you're doing better, Haruka-chan. I hope I see you in school Monday."

Haruka nodded as she began to rub the back of her neck. Hana had embraced her a little too tightly. "I'll be there. There's no way I would miss two days straight like that. I wouldn't want to get fired or get my kids worried."

"Of course." He replied and Haruka was able to catch a glimpse of his smile. He walked over to Hana and pulled her arm. Hana quickly began to complain, punching him in the arm and asking what he was doing. Naoki just ignored her. "We'll see you later then, Haruka. It seems like your husband is getting impatient."

Haruka blushed a little and turned to look at Yakumo. He shot a glare at Naoki, but he didn't say anything. Of course, Naoki's statement made Hana shut up and agree to leave. She was probably scared of Yakumo and Haruka couldn't really blame her. Yakumo always sent of a pretty scary and unapproachable aura. "Okay. I'll see you Monday, then."

Naoki nodded, but Hana managed to slip away from him. She walked toward her and gave her another massive hug. She leaned her head on her shoulder before whispering something inside her ear. "I'm so sorry, Haruka. I really hope you get better soon."

She let go of her before giving her a quick kiss in the forehead. Then, they both waved good-bye to her and to Yakumo as they headed toward the door. When they finally left, Haruka let out another sigh. She had never seen Hana act so serious before and it saddened her to think that she was blaming herself for what had happened. It wasn't her fault and Haruka wished she could have emphasized that a bit more to her.

"I'm sorry I told her about you." Yakumo suddenly said to her, surprising her and almost making her choke in her own saliva. Haruka turned to look at him and she was glad to hear his voice. "She sounded so desperate. I guess I couldn't hide the truth from her."

"It's okay." Haruka replied with a shaky laugh as she shook her hands back and forth. She leaned back on her pillow a little bit since she was starting feel tired. "I'm glad you told her. I'm glad she came to visit me. She's hard to handle sometimes, but just having her around makes me feel better. She releases some of my stress."

"I see." Yakumo said as he placed his hands in his pockets. Then, he started walking toward her. Instead of sitting on the chair, Yakumo moved it and placed it behind him. He stood in front of her bed and looked down at her. "It looks like she really cares about you. Isshi too. He's cares a lot about you as well."

Haruka nodded as she began to play around with her fingers. "Yes. I know. They're not the only ones that care about me, though." She could feel her face turning red, but she decided to not back away. "You care about me too, right?"

Yakumo's eyes widen a little. He stayed quiet for several seconds before he grabbed her hand. He frowned, hiding his eyes with his beautiful brown hair. Then, he slowly kneeled before her, placing her hand over his face. "Haruka." He whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Yakumo." Haruka's eyes were swelling with tears at the sight of him and she suddenly found her voice gone. Her heart was pounding loudly beneath her chest. It hurt her. It hurt her so much to see him like that. "Please don't."

"It's my fault, Haruka." He told her as he slowly closed his eyes. Even though she couldn't see them very clearly, Haruka could feel Yakumo's tears hitting her hand. "I failed you. I didn't get to you in time. I should have taken better care of you. You're my responsibility. You're suppose to be under my protection and yet, I failed. I failed you as your husband."

"Please stop, Yakumo!" Haruka pulled her hand away from him, feeling tears crawl down her face. She pushed her bed sheets away and managed to sit down on the edge of the bed. She grabbed Yakumo's face with both her hands, hoping he would come to. "It's not your fault! Don't you say that! No one is to blame! You didn't fail me, Yakumo! I'm here and I'm alive!"

Yakumo didn't say anything, but he slowly pushed her hands away. He didn't stand up and he stayed kneeling before her. He was still looking down, completely avoiding her gaze. "You're alive now, but, as long as you stay with me, your life will always be in danger." He told her, but Haruka was busy wiping away his tears. "I don't want you exposed anymore. I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me and I'm not going to lose you!" Haruka told him. She wanted to smile. She wanted to show him that she was strong, but she couldn't. Her tears wouldn't stop. Yakumo, in all their time being together, had never sound so afraid. "We'll always be together. Nothing is ever going to separate us."

Yakumo stood up from the floor and sat down next to her. He still hadn't regained his composure and Haruka could see the sadness written all over his face. "He's back. I know that man is back. I heard Shirou Yamazaki mention him. He's targeting us again. He's targeting you. That man who calls himself my father probably got Shirou Yamazaki to attack you. As long as that man is around, you'll always be in danger. I can't afford that."

"Yakumo, stop it. Please." Haruka grabbed his shirt tightly before leaning her head against his chest. "We'll be okay. We've managed to come this far, right? So please, please don't leave me. It's true that being your wife has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but I don't care. I won't give up on you. I want to stay by your side because...because...because I love you. I love you so much, Yakumo. You don't know how badly I wanted to see you when I thought I was going to die. I wanted to hear your voice. I wanted to see you. If I was going to die, I wanted to die in your arms."

Then, he embraced her. He held her tightly and Haruka hugged him back. For the first time in a long time, Haruka felt loved. She felt like she actually mattered to him. "What would I do without you, knucklehead?" He said to her, but Haruka could hear his voice shaking. "You're such an idiot. You know that right?"

"I know." Haruka smiled to herself even though her eyes were still bawling out tears. "But, I'm your idiot."

…


	18. Transfer

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Well, it's 12 am, but I don't think there's a better time to update my story. I wasn't going to update today at all, but suddenly opened a word document and well, this happened. I'll probably update again tomorrow or sometime this weekend. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! It really means a lot to me especially since PDY is one of my favorite anime/mangas ever. So, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations. _

_P.S. I would be most grateful if you all could send me some names; first and last names, male or female. I'm going to need quite a lot of them for future chapters. I always have trouble coming up with them since they have to be Japanese. :)_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 18 - Transfer**

It had been a very long weekend and after her conversation with Yakumo, things didn't really get any better between. Everything remained pretty much the same except Yakumo became a bit more quieter. When she was released from the hospital on Sunday, he hardly said two words to her. Haruka didn't really understand why. She thought everything had been cleared up between them. For some strange reason, Yakumo seemed more troubled than before and Haruka wished she knew why.

Letting out a sigh, Haruka began to arrange her students' desks since they were a bit out of line and crooked. Of course, her mind was busy thinking about Yakumo. She wondered what he was doing and if he was okay. It tore her heart apart when she saw him apologizing to her at the hospital. He wasn't responsible for what had happened, but Haruka knew that he was blaming himself. She was almost sure Yakumo was tormenting himself with his own thoughts.

Haruka paused as she looked down at a desk. She had told him how much she loved him. She said her feelings loud and clear. She didn't regret it, but she was kind of hoping Yakumo would say the same thing back to her. Even so, it was enough for her to see how much he truly cared about her. The way he had embraced her was still present in her mind and she could still feel his warmth around her body.

Still, her relationship with Yakumo wasn't ideal even though she didn't want to admit it. She and Yakumo were far from the perfect couple and in fact, they were probably the strangest wed couple in the world. Haruka shook her head before she continued to fix the desks. It bothered her, though. It bothered her so much to realize that she would get excited over a small little embrace. She and Yakumo were married and she was content with a small embrace. How could she call that normal? That wasn't normal at all.

Even though she and Yakumo were married, they were so distant from each other and it took so much effort from both of them to say their feelings in front of one another. Haruka could remember when her heart almost jumped out of her chest just because she had told him how much she loved him. That wasn't normal. A wed couple shouldn't have trouble saying those sort of things. They shouldn't feel any embarrassment toward each other and there should definitely be no secrets. Haruka couldn't even give Yakumo a kiss without feeling her cheeks flushing red and she couldn't easily tell him what had happened at work.

Why? Why were they like that? What could she do to make their marriage better and more manageable? It had always been her dream to marry the man she loved and somehow, she had accomplished that. Now, she needed to preserved it, but she didn't know how. Then, to make things worse, she and Yakumo were always presented with ghosts and other problems that were placing their matrimony on a very fine line. If she wasn't careful, her marriage with Yakumo could go down the drain.

Feeling a chill crawl down her spine, Haruka tried not think about that anymore. She shook her thoughts away before she walked toward the windows. She slowly opened the blinds allowing the morning sun to light up her classroom. She smiled, pushing her hair back. Despite all her troubles, Haruka was determined to have a good day. She wasn't going to show her frown to her kids.

Haruka clapped her hands with satisfaction and turned around to realize that she was being watched. Startled a bit, Haruka bumped one of the desks, but she managed to keep her balance. She smiled nervously before greeting the person that was standing at the doorway. "Hello, Sir." She began with a shaky smile. "Can I help you with something?"

The ma, who looked to be in his mid 40s stood quiet, but it wasn't long before he stepped inside her classroom. Haruka froze, unsure of what she do. She had never seen that man before and she wondered what he was doing there. "Hello, Miss. You're here quite early." He suddenly greeted with a small bow. His face was so serious that Haruka wondered if he was even capable of smiling. "You're Haruka Saitou, correct?"

"Oh, umm, yes." Haruka responded a bit too quickly as she approached the man. She scratched the back of her head before adjusting the edges of her dress. She gave him a smile even though she was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. "I'm Haruka Saitou. Is there something I can help you with, Sir?"

"I know there hasn't been a proper introduction, but I am the new principal, Daisuke Kuroda. I've been here for a couple of days now, observing and trying to learn my way around." He told her, making her jaw drop a little. She had no idea she was dealing with the new principal. If she would have known, she would have given him a little more respect. "Anyways, I'm going to make a few changes around here and I decided to start with you."

"What?" Haruka's eyes widen, but she tried to remain calm. She looked at the new principal as her head began to race with questions. He was making a few changes and he was starting with her? What could that possibly mean? Was she being fired? He didn't even know her, so she didn't understand why he would fire her. Haruka hoped from the bottom of her heart that she was just misunderstanding things. "I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

The principal let out a sigh as he began to look around her classroom. With the sunlight, her classroom looked more colorful and vivid than ever since her students' drawings were hanged all over the walls. They were very beautiful to her, but she wondered if the new principal would be bothered by it. "Do you like teaching?"

"Oh, yes. I do." Haruka replied even though she had been caught off guard. She cleared her throat before she decided to stand right next to the new principal. Why did she have to get herself into problems so early in the morning? She had been determined to have a good day and things were already starting to go crooked. Sighing, Haruka looked up and began to scan her classroom with pride. "I love teaching and I love my students."

"Why did you decide to teach children? Why did you choose this school?" He asked her, giving her a very serious look. Haruka gulped and with all the questions that were being asked, she couldn't help but feel intimidated. It sounded like she was having some sort of interview with her new boss. She hoped that's all it was.

"Why? Well, I love children. They're very fun even though they're hard to handle sometimes." Haruka let out a small laugh before she placed her hand on top of one of the desks. "They're so small and innocent. They're so full happiness and joy. It's a pleasure to be around them and I want to guide them in the right direction. I want to help them in any way that I can."

The new principal nodded silently as he placed his hand over his chin. He stood in deep thought for quite a while and it wasn't long before Haruka started playing around with her fingers. What was going on? Why was he there? Why was he asking her those strange questions? "I've received many good reports about you, Saitou-san. I've heard that you're an excellent teacher and that your students are always very attentive and very obedient."

Haruka could feel a small blush coming on and she was glad that all her hard work was paying off. She was being praised by the new principal already, making her feel very proud. "I couldn't have asked for better students. They're pleasure to teach."

"I've also looked through your resume and I've seen the courses you took in college." The principal told her which made her small little bubble of joy burst. Confusion took over her as she began to wonder why the principal was telling her all of that. For some reason, it was starting to scare her. One minute he's praising her and the next minute he tells her that he's been digging up her college years. It didn't make any sense. "Thus far, I'm quite impressed with your work."

Haruka could feel a knot forming in her throat as she stared at the man before her. Her head slowly starting bending down and pretty soon, she found herself looking at the floor. What was going on? Why was the principal, a complete stranger, telling her all of that? "Thank you."

"That's why you're being transferred from this school." He suddenly told her and Haruka immediately lifted her head. She could feel the air running out of her lungs and a strange ache forming in her chest. "You're going to be moved to a high school."

"Why?" Haruka quickly shot up to her own defense. She could feel her eyes swelling with tears, but she was determined to keep them inside. She wasn't going to let the principal see her weakness. "I don't understand. I never asked for a transfer. I'm comfortable working here. I love it here and I don't want to leave this place. Besides, it's the middle of the school year. I can't leave my kids in such a matter. It wouldn't be fair for them and it isn't fair for me either. I'm sorry, Kuroda-san. I can't accept this transfer. I want to stay here."

"Because it's the middle of the year, I think it's necessary for you to transfer to this high school." The principal continued and despite her plea. Was he even taking her feelings into consideration? "A teacher was forced to withdraw after having a terrible car accident. She's still in the hospital and there's no sign of her getting any better. She has very severe injuries and she has already been through several surgeries. It's truly tragic."

"Yes, I understand that." Haruka said, shaking her head and turning away from the principal. "But, I don't understand why you chose me? Why me? Why do I have to replace this teacher all of a sudden? I mean, I'm sure there's a lot better candidates than me. I'm already settled in and I already have a wonderful class that I'm in charge of."

"These high school students are preparing for their exams, Saitou-san. They need a person with your determination and your effort that will help them get through this." The principal went on and he was showing no signs of reconsidering his idea. "Everything happened so sudden and the school doesn't have time to interview a hundred new teachers. That's why the school asked us if we had anyone that was willing to go over there and help. It's only temporary until they find the right teacher to take the job."

"Well, yes, but my students," Haruka placed her hand over her chest, hoping that her heart beat would calm down a little. "I can't leave my students alone. They also need me. I haven't seen them since Thursday."

"Your students will be fine. I'm sure there are other teachers who will be able to handle them just as well as you. They're children after all, so they're much easier to teach." The principal told her and it wasn't until then that Haruka was able to get a glimpse of his smile. "So, today will be your last day in this school. When you're done with class, please pack all your things, come by my office and I'll give you the paperwork you will need. You'll report first thing tomorrow morning to Nakahara High School. I've already told them of your arrival and you don't know how relieved they were. They won't have to depend on useless substitutes who can't even control much less teach the students."

Haruka stood speechless as her hands slowly dropped to her side. She bit her lip, but she couldn't object. The principal wasn't asking her if she wanted to transfer or not; he was ordering her to do so. Haruka didn't have a choice. She either accepted or she would hear another long lecture from the principal. Out of all the people in the school why did he have to pick her? "Yes, Sir." Haruka said quietly, making sure she hid her eyes underneath her hair. "I understand."

"Good. Very good. I'm glad we were able to settle this the easy way." He said with a small chuckle as he patted her shoulder. Haruka had to restrain herself from pushing his hand away. He let out another sigh before he started heading toward the door. "Well, then, I'll see you later, Saitou-san. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Haruka found herself standing alone and she still couldn't believe what had happened. She was going to transfer to high school. She was going to teach high schoolers and that thought was enough to scare her. She wasn't ready to handle high schoolers and that was the reason she had chosen to teach an elementary school. They were restless, but they were kind and everyday was a fun experience for her. She couldn't see herself anywhere else.

With a sigh, Haruka walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair. She looked at her classroom, realizing that it would be her last day there. She managed to smile at the thought of Hana's reaction. She was definitely going to freak and she was probably going to cry an ocean of tears. Haruka could see her marching into the principal's office to protest her transfer. Naoki probably wouldn't do or say much, but Haruka was sure he would at least wish her good luck. Teaching in a high school was no easy task and there's was no way she would ever be able to handle it.

Still, she didn't have another choice and she would just have to find a way to deal with it.

…


	19. Longing

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_It's two in the morning, but I won't be able to sleep until I have updated this story. I just updated Untouchable and now it's time to update this one as well. I haven't updated this story in two weeks and because I will update tomorrow. This time it's not a lie. _

_Anyways, I would to thank everyone that's been reading, reviewing and following this story! It really means a lot to me! PDY is such a great anime/manga! I love it so much! Please excuse grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

_P.s. Does anyone know if chapter 31 has come out? I usually read PDY on mangareader and they haven't updated yet._

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 19 - Longing **

When Haruka finally got home, she realized just how tired and just how exhausted she was. She could hardly even stand and she was ready to go to bed. She was suppose to have a good day since it was the start of a new week, but instead, it turned out to be stressful. Haruka took off her shoes as she walked over to the living room. The entire apartment was quiet, but Haruka was already used to it. She was also starting to get accustomed going to bed without Yakumo's company.

Haruka placed the box with her classroom belongings on the coffee table before she headed to the kitchen. She slowly opened the fridge to find it almost empty and with little ingredients to make herself something to eat. Haruka closed the fridge's door and leaned her body against the edge of the kitchen sink. There was no turning back. Starting tomorrow she would leave her job as a kindergarten teacher to become a high school teacher. She wasn't going to teach children anymore; she was going to teach teenagers.

That thought scared her and sent shivers running down her spine. She wasn't ready to become a high school teacher and Haruka wasn't even sure if she would even be able to survive. She had studied to become an elementary teacher and yet, she was being transferred to a high school. She never asked for something like that and it annoyed her to think that out of all the teachers, the new principal and his staff had to pick her. Why her? Couldn't they tell that she was just a plain ordinary woman with average teaching skills? There was no way she would be able to teach a classroom full of young adults.

Letting out a sigh, Haruka rubbed the back of her neck since her stress was starting to accumulate. She stepped out of the kitchen and paced past the dining area to her bedroom. Her friends had been devastated to hear the news. Hana practically shed a river of tears for her while Naoki gave her a face full of pity. She was going to miss them so much and she knew she would never find a greater pair of friends.

Her new job was only temporary, but that wasn't enough to calm her nerves. Her heart shattered in a million pieces when she told her small students the news of her departure. They quickly asked her why, but she didn't know how to explain. They told her that they were going to miss her and some of them even came up to give her a small embrace.

Haruka wanted to stay with them, but there was nothing she could do to change the principal's mind. When she went into his office after school, he gave her all the papers she would need, including a lesson plan and the room number she would need to report to before she headed to her new classroom. He told her she would be teaching history, a subject she wasn't particularly smart in, but better at than math. Haruka tried to talk her way out of it again, but her efforts were in vain. The principal had made up his mind and he seemed determined to keep it that way.

She walked into the bedroom to find it pitch black. Her heart sunk a little since she was kind of hoping to find Yakumo sitting there waiting for her. She silently smiled to herself as she shook her head. She was hoping things would change between them, but everything remained the same. She thought he would show his feelings more after he had embraced her so tenderly at the hospital. She was wrong, though. Everything remained the same. Nothing changed.

Feeling a bit sorry for herself, Haruka walked over to her bed and sat down on top of it. She kept the lights off since the darkness was helping her calm down a bit. She took in a death breath, counting the seconds she held in the air. She had to think positive. If she stressed herself out now, then things would only turn out worse. She just had to do her job. The objective was still the same. She still had to teach only this time she was going to be placed in a different school with different teachers and different students. She had to make it through. After all, she had been in worse scrapes before.

Haruka didn't know how long she sat there just thinking. She could hear the wind rustling outside and she could hear drops of water dripping from the bathroom sink. It was so quiet. It was so lonely. She had no one to talk to. She had no one to lean on. When were things going to change? When was it going to feel like she was actually married?

She remembered when Yakumo used to be kinder to her. He would show his feelings to her occasionally when they were alone, but now, it was rare. With every passing day, Haruka could feel Yakumo distancing himself away from her. Haruka leaned her head on her hands as she placed her elbows on her thighs. Sometimes it seemed like he didn't want to be near because of fear. He probably thought something would happened to her if he stayed near her.

Still, how were they suppose to live as a husband and wife if they were never together? How were they suppose to form a family when things are so awkward between them? Haruka's eyes widen as she let that thought linger in her head a bit longer. Did she want to be mother? Did she want to have kids and start a family with Yakumo? Haruka could feel a small blush forming in her face, but she knew that deep inside her, that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to form a family with Yakumo. She wanted to have kids, but there was no way she would ever be able to tell him something like that.

"What are you doing?"

Starlted, Haruka jumped up a little as she saw a shadow by the doorway. Even though she could barely see him, Haruka knew it was Yakumo just by looking at his figure. She stood up from the bed while Yakumo turned on the lights. It was only then that Haruka could see Yakumo's worn out face. "Oh, you're home. I didn't hear you come in."

"You were too busy spacing out to notice." Yakumo told her, but Haruka could sense the sarcasm in him. She stared at him as he walked over to his drawer. He was perfect. Everything about him was perfect and sometimes Haruka found it hard to believe that a guy like Yakumo would have her as a wife. "What's with that box in the living room? Are you going somewhere?"

"Oh, no. Not really." Haruka told him as she scratched the back of her head. She tried to act natural, but her emotions were giving her away. She didn't want to sound too depressed. She didn't want Yakumo to worry about her anymore. "It's just that I had to gather my things because I'm being transferred. I'm not going to teach in that school anymore. Starting tomorrow I'm going to teach at Nakahara High School. I'm going to be a history teacher."

Yakumo stopped scrummaging around his drawer. He pulled out a t-shirt before he turned to look in her direction. He looked pretty surprised and she could see that he wasn't taking the news so well either. He stared at her for a couple of seconds, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. "Is that what you want?"

"Of course that's not what I want." Haruka replied as she sat back down on the bed. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a bit while she bent down her head. "I never asked for this. I didn't want to leave, but I had no choice. The new principal even talked to me about it privately. I had no other option. I either accepted or I would be left jobless."

They stayed quiet and silence quickly filled up the room. Haruka, unsure of what to say, started playing around with her fingers, hoping she would be able to ignore Yakumo's intense glare. "There wasn't much I could do. I'm just going to have to learn to accept it. Still, I don't see myself teaching a group full of teenagers. If they don't like me, then I'm sure they won't hesitate to show it."

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine." Yakumo suddenly said, catching her off guard. She quickly looked up at him, making contact with his beautiful red eye. He smiled at her slightly, but it quickly faded away. "I'm here for you."

Haruka gulped as she tried to act natural. She quickly stood up from the bed with her heart fluttering a little. She really loved when Yakumo showed her some kindness. She just loved him in general and a few words from him could really motivate her. "Thank you." She clasped her hands together as a smile began to form. "Anyways, you just got home, right? Are you hungry? I could make you something to eat if you want."

"It's fine. I already ate." Yakumo suddenly told her as he turned back around. "Maybe you should make something for yourself."

"It's okay. I'm not really hungry." Haruka told him which was partially true. "It's already kind of late and I'm pretty tired. It was a pretty rough day. I don't even-"

Haruka stopped in mid-sentence after realizing that Yakumo was taking off his shirt. He threw his dirty shirt in the laundry basket before he starting putting on the clean shirt he had gotten from his drawer. Haruka couldn't help but stare at his perfect body. She suddenly began to wonder when was the last time she had touched his bare chest. Yakumo didn't notice her staring at him and he put on his clean shirt without a care in the world.

"What about you?" Haruka's mouth spoke without permission and she silently cursed herself for it. "How was work today?"

"It's the same as ever." Yakumo told her as he adjusted the shirt's collar in front of the mirror. His face was so serious and Haruka couldn't help but wonder why. He was probably working in a new case with Gotou. Still, if she asked him about it, Haruka knew he wouldn't tell her much. "Anyways, I have to get going. I'll see you later."

"What?" Haruka stated with shock as she watched Yakumo. He seemed to be in a hurry, but she wanted an explanation. She thought he had come home to stay. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted feel his company. "Why are you leaving? It's so late. I don't think it's safe for you to be running around at this hour."

"I can take care of myself. There's something Gotou and I need to take care of." Yakumo looked at her, but that wasn't enough to ease her worries. He walked toward her and gave her a gentle pat in the head. "You should go to sleep. I don't think I'll be back until tomorrow."

"Do you and Gotou have another case already?" Haruka asked him only to see him nod. Haruka let out a sigh as she pushed his head away. She knew it. He and Gotou were already working on another case. She wondered why they never took breaks. They had just finished one. "I see. I guess it can't be helped then."

"I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her small peck in forehead, but Haruka was too disappointed to respond back. A small kiss could never make up another lonely night. She was already used to it, but it hurt her to see that Yakumo had other priorities other than her.

For the first time, she was starting to understand why Gotou's wife had left him at first. His job took away so much time. She and Yakumo barely saw each other at all. She wondered if Gotou and his wife were still living in the same situation. She heard they had gotten back together to take care of Nao-chan, but Haruka wondered if everything between them was really alright. "Okay. Be safe."

"You too. Don't do anything stupid." Yakumo told her, making her pout. She crossed her hands as she watched him heading toward the doorway. "Good luck in high school."

With that, Yakumo headed out the bedroom and it wasn't long before Haruka heard him slamming the front door. He was gone. He had left her alone once again. He said he was working on a case with Gotou, but what if he was lying? What if he was having an affair with another woman and that's why he didn't desire her. Haruka quickly shook her thoughts away, scolding herself for not trusting him. He cared about her. He had shown that to her more than once.

Even so, there was a fine line between care and love. It was easy to care for another person and it was easy to confuse that feeling for love. Haruka stared at the bedroom doorway a bit longer before she dropped herself on the bed. She curled herself up, grabbing Yakumo's pillow. She hugged it tightly and placed it close to her chest. She needed to trust him and she needed to have faith.

She loved him more than anything and she wasn't going to give up on him so easily.

…


	20. Dream

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Well, it's about to be three am in the morning, but to be honest, I'm not tired at all. This is a terrible sleeping habit of mine. I know I'm going to have trouble breaking it when I go back to school. But, whatever. I'll probably end up watching anime after I update this story. This is my summer life._

_Anyways, I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! Please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations. _

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 20 - Dream**

Standing in front of her new classroom, Haruka stared at the many rows of empty seats. Her heart was pounding loudly and her hands were shaking nervously. She still couldn't believe it. She still couldn't believe that she was actually there. Haruka checked the time on her watch and realized that maybe she had gotten there a bit too early. She wasn't able to get a wink of sleep because of her nervousness and because she couldn't stop thinking about Yakumo.

Haruka sighed as she looked down at her new empty desk. She traced her fingers along the edges while her thoughts transferred to her husband. Everything was so hard on her. She always had to do everything on her own. She never had his support. How was she suppose to go on living like that? She always told herself to remain positive and to have faith, but there was only so much she could handle.

Placing her hands over her cheeks, Haruka decided to shake away her depression. She needed to focus and worry about her new job. She couldn't let her personal life and personal issues interfere with her work. Holding out a fist of determination, Haruka walked in front of her desk and stood firm. It wasn't long before she started hearing chatter outside in the hallways. She could hear voices and laughter that clearly belonged to the students. Haruka gulped, locking her knees.

What if her students didn't like her? What if she wasn't good enough for them? What if she messed up? Haruka bit her lip as she looked down at the ground. She wasn't prepared for this. She wanted to go back running to her elementary school. She wanted to work alongside her friends, Hana and Naoki. How was she suppose to make it on her own without them? She didn't know anyone in that high school. She was completely alone.

Suddenly, a student walked inside the classroom. She was pretty short, but Haruka could really see her face because of her bangs and glasses. She came in quietly and placed her bag on top of a particular desk that was leaning against the wall. Haruka wanted to greet her, but she didn't know how to start. She didn't know what to say and to make things worse, her mouth had just gone completely dry. "Umm..."

The girl snapped her head toward her. She stared at her with suspicion, pushing her glasses back and leaning herself forward a bit. She looked at her from head to toe and Haruka couldn't help but feel intimidated. "Who are you?" The girl asked in a low serious voice. She crossed her hands as her eyes kept on staring. "Are you a new student? Why aren't you in uniform?"

Haruka felt her eyebrow twitch, but she tried not to let that comment get her down. Did she really look that young? How was she suppose to have authority if she was confused for a teenager? Haruka let out a small laugh even though it was completely fake. "You're mistaken. I'm not a student." Haruka told her with a smile and she hoped the girl didn't notice her voice cracking. "I'm your new teacher, Haruka Saitou. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl stared at her a bit surprised and Haruka was glad when she heard her apologize. "I'm terribly sorry, I had no idea. Please forgive me, Saitou-sensei." She bowed a little, but when she stood up straight again, her face stiffened. "I'm Seiya Takamatsu, Class Representative and Captain of the Tennis Club. If there's anything you need help with, Sensei, I'm the one you should ask. Please don't hesitate."

"Thank you very much, Takamatsu-san." Haruka replied with some joy as she watched the girl sit down. Takamatsu didn't say anything else after that since she pulled out a book from her bag and started to read. Haruka stared at her for a couple of seconds and she hoped, from the bottom of her heart, that the rest of her students would be as nice and as disciplined as her. Haruka sighed as she looked out the door. She would just have to wait and see.

A couple of minutes ticked by before the class was filled with teenage students. Some were loud and energetic while others were quiet and reserved like Takamatsu. Haruka quietly watched them, observing their movements. It had been such a long time since she had been inside a high school. Her years as a high student weren't so grateful, though and she hated thinking about them.

When the bell finally rang, Haruka watched as the students started to calm down a little. They sat down in their proper seats and they finally turned to look in her direction. Haruka gulped for the millionth time, feeling a wave of eyes suddenly staring at her. She smiled at them, but she could feel her nervousness coming back. What was she suppose to say next? How was she suppose to introduce herself? She was barely able to speak with one student alone. How was she suppose to talk to thirty students who were looking at her like if she was crazy? It was then that she decided to make her introduction short and simple.

"Good Morning." Haruka greeted them before she quickly cleared her throat. She hoped she wouldn't feel so nervous tomorrow. There was no way she would be able to go through the same process twice. "I'm Haruka Saitou and from this day on, I will be your new homeroom teacher. I look forward to teaching you all."

The class sat in silence and Haruka wished she could rewind time to the day she had spoken with the principal. She didn't want to be there. It was clear she didn't belong there. Haruka could feel her heart pounding loudly as her palms suddenly started to sweat. So far, things weren't looking too good for her. Some students did give her a small smile, but most of them didn't really care. Haruka couldn't really blame them. They had probably gone through so many teachers that they probably didn't care who was up there talking.

Haruka walked back behind her desk and pulled out the attendance sheet they had given her earlier before. She slowly and bravely started taking attendance and whenever she called a name, she made sure to learn their face as well. She wanted to get to get to know them and she hoped she would be able to get along with everyone. When she was finished, Haruka was a bit surprised to see that only two students were absent.

She placed the attendance sheet down and grabbed a stack of worksheets the teacher staff had also given her. Apparently, the students were suppose to work on the worksheet. They had given her a lesson plan for that week, giving her each specific detail on what she was suppose to teach. Haruka looked up at her students with the stack of papers in her hands. She could see them getting impatient, but she tried not to let their aura bother her.

Before Haruka had a chance to speak, the door suddenly slid open. Haruka quickly turned her head and the entire class suddenly got a bit chaotic. They starting talking and commenting about the boy who was now standing by the doorway. He was tall, probably taller than her, and his long black hair covered part of his eyes. His uniform was on him sloppy and he didn't have his handbag. "Sorry I'm late. My alarm didn't go off again. That thing is probably broken."

"Don't let it happen again. Take your seat." Haruka told him, but her voice didn't come out as mean as she had hoped. The boy glared at her before he let out a small groan. He slammed the door shut and walked over to a desk that was located in the very back. He slumped himself down in his seat before he lazily turned to look at her again. "Tell me what your name is."

A smirk formed on his face as he leaned back on his chair. Haruka tried to keep her calm, but her feet automatically took a step back. "Kaoru Miyazaki." He suddenly said to her in a voice full of sarcasm. "So, who are you? What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

Haruka's jaw almost dropped since she couldn't believe that boy's rudeness. She wondered if he treated all his previous teachers like that. "Haruka Saitou. I'm your new instructor and I will not tolerate that sort of disrespect. Do you understand, Miyazaki-san?"

"Well, then," He began while everyone else stared at him. "It's nice meeting you, Saitou-sensei. You just entered the class of doom."

…

_The cherry blossoms were in bloom and they filled the air with the most beautiful aroma. They were taking a walk underneath the starry sky and she seemed as happy as ever. She had no idea what was coming to her, though. She had no idea the surprise that was waiting for her. He smiled to himself as he thought about her happy face. _

"_It's so beautiful here. It's so quiet and peaceful. Look at all the stars that are outside today. It's simply amazing." She told him as she stopped walking. She waited for him to catch up before she continued on talking. "Why did you bring me here? You said that there was something you wanted to talk to me about, but you haven't said anything. Did something happen?"_

_He shook his head and continued on walking. How should he tell her? How should he ask her? He had been pondering about it all night. He had been thinking about all day. "Everything's fine."_

"_Then, what it is it?" She asked him again, but he stayed silent. He stopped when he stood in front of the lake. The wind was getting a bit restless, but it was cooling him down. It made him feel relaxed and made all his worries go away. "It's so beautiful, isn't it? Look at how the moon reflects so perfectly on the water. I love it here."_

_He turned to look at her and another small smile formed on his face. She wasn't the prettiest thing in the world. She wasn't the smartest person either. In fact, she was pretty clumsy and she always spoke without thinking. She always made a big a fuss over the smallest of things and she always cried for the most insignificant reasons. Still, she cared about him a lot and she was always there for him. She never left his side despite his coldness. "Aren't you cold?"_

"_It's a bit chilly, but I'm fine." She told him, but he ignored her. He took off his coat and handed it to her. She looked at him with confusion before a slight blush formed on her face. She smiled at him before she slowly took the coat from his hands. She wore it, but he could see embarrassment written all over her face. She was clearly not used to his kindness and he wasn't used to it either. "Thank you, Yakumo-kun."_

_He nodded as he turned back to look up at the sky. He was ready. He had everything he was going to say inside his head. There was no turning back anymore. If he didn't say it, he would only end up losing her. "There's something for you in one of those pockets."_

"_Huh? Something for me?" She stated a bit confused as she started looking around for the pockets on his coat. She placed her hand inside the right pocket and he watched as her eyes widen a little. With a shocked face, she slowly pulled out a small black box. She looked at it a bit curiously before she turned to look at him. "What is it? Should I open it?"_

"_You really are a knucklehead." He told her, making her pout. He grabbed the box from her hands and slowly opened it to show her the ring that was inside. She immediately gasped, placing her hands over her mouth. She stared at the ring with disbelief, as tears threaten to come out. "Haruka Ozawa, will you be my wife?"_

"_I can't believe this!" She told him as she shook her head back and forth. She was really crying now and his heart was pounding like crazy. "You actually want to marry a person like me?! Are you sure you don't have a fever or something? You aren't playing around with me?"_

_He sighed, but he managed to give her a small smile. "I wouldn't play with something like this, you airhead. So give me an answer to my question."_

"_I do! Of course I do!" She told him loudly as the tears continued to crawl down her face. He took her hand and he slowly placed the ring on her finger. Finally. She belonged to him. "I love you so much, Yakumo-kun! This makes me so happy! I never thought you would ask me something like this!"_

_He didn't say anything and instead he slowly cupped her face with his hand. He leaned toward her until his lips were pressed against hers. It was decided. He was going to spend the rest of his life with Haruka Ozawa. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer like if he never wanted to let go._

Yakumo suddenly flashed his eyes opened. As he slowly sat up, he could feel a strange ache forming inside his chest. He knew why, though. He knew why he was feeling that way. He had had that dream again, the dream that was about the day he had proposed to her. Yakumo rubbed his eyes before he started looking around.

He was in Gotou's office. He had probably fallen asleep at some point during the night. They were suppose to be investigating the disappearance of a small girl, but in the end, they ended up slacking off and they both ended up falling asleep. Yakumo could hear Gotou's snoring from across the room. He was leaning back on his chair quite comfortably with his feet all over his desk.

Yawning, Yakumo pulled out his cellphone to check the time. It was about to be nine in the morning and that fact, immediately made him think of her. He wondered if she was in school already and he wondered how everything was going.

He wondered if she was okay.

...


	21. Reaching Out

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_Despite all the distractions and despite the fact that the neighbors were blowing fireworks like crazy, I was able to update today. It's funny that I could only write (type) when I'm completely by myself. It's one am and I'm still downstairs with only a small lamp on. I would be scared to death if I didn't have my music. _

_Anyways, that doesn't matter right now. I would like to thank everyone that has been following, reading and reviewing my story up until now! You don't know how much I appreciate that! PDY is just one of the best animes out there and I just love it so much! I ship Haruka and Yakumo before any other anime couple out there. If they ever do get together in the manga, I think I'll just cry! So, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 21 - Reaching Out**

There was snickering and laughter among the students. Haruka had tried to ignore them, but her patience was running low. How was she suppose to teach that way? Haruka continued on, turning her back on them to write something on the board. The whispers wouldn't cease, though and it was all because of Kaoru Miyazaki. He was snoring in the middle of class, in the middle of her lesson, creating an uproar among everyone.

Haruka turned back around and the class fell to an immediate silence. They all looked at Miyazaki, who was snoring away in dreamland. Haruka could feel her eyebrow twitching as she gripped on the textbook she was holding. She had been teaching for over week already and Kaoru Miyazaki's behavior had gotten from bad to worse. He never turned in his work. He never paid attention when she was talking. He would cause trouble at all times. What angered her the most, though, was the fact that he gave her no respect at all. She was his teacher, but he never treated her that way.

Losing the little patience she had left, Haruka slowly started walking toward Miyazki's desk. Even though she was standing right in front of him, he continued on sleeping and he probably didn't even notice her presence. Haruka tapped his head several times with the textbook and when she received no response, she whacked him a little bit harder. "Miyazaki-san! This is no time to be sleeping! We're in the middle of an important lesson and you're interrupting the entire class!"

"You didn't have to hit me so hard!" He complained as he rubbed the back of his head. He sat up from the desk and gave her glare that was probably ten times scarier than Yakumo's. Haruka gulped, but she didn't let herself get intimidated. "Maybe I wouldn't fall asleep if you weren't so boring! Haven't you ever thought about that? Why don't you do us a favor and go back to wherever you came from?"

Haruka could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as the class erupted in laughter. Slamming her hand on his desk, Haruka finally decided that she had had enough. She couldn't continue teaching that way. She had no authority over her class and Kaoru Miyazaki was making everything worse. "That's it. I want you to step outside. I'm not going to deal with you anymore."

"What if I don't want to?" He told her as he crossed his hands, giving her a defying look. She didn't understand why he treated her that way. Her class wouldn't be half bad if he wasn't around. He was the troublemaker and he made her life ten thousand times harder than it already was. It made her sad to think that she was miserable in school and lonely at home. "What are you going to if I don't? Huh?"

Leaning in a bit closer, Haruka tried to make a threatening face. "If you don't step out right now, I will send you to the principal's office and request a parent conference. How does that sound, Miyazaki-san?"

He stayed quiet, but his glare was enough to make her take a step back. He stood up, placing his hands in his pockets and without saying another word, he slowly walked out the classroom. Haruka watched him for a couple of moments before she turned her attention back to her class. "Okay, please copy what's on the board. That's your homework for tonight. I need to step out for a bit."

With that being said, Haruka headed toward the door to go after Miyazaki. She needed to have a talk with him before he made her regret becoming a teacher. Haruka stepped outside the classroom and found Miyazaki leaning against the wall with his hands crossed. He looked at her with a glare, making it clear to Haruka that he completely hated her. She wondered why since she really hadn't done anything to him. Maybe he was going through his rebellious phase?

"So, what do you want?" He told her rudely, rolling his eyes. If she was any other teacher, he probably would have been suspended a long time ago. But, that was her problem. Haruka didn't have the guts to do something like that and she was sure Miyazaki could sense that fear too. That was probably the reason why he started picking on her since day one. She was an immature and inexperienced high school teacher. "I thought you sent me out here so you can continue teaching. Still, you can't teach for sh-"

Haruka held up her hand, stopping him from finishing his sentence. "I don't understand why you're like this and I don't know how you treated your previous teachers, but this has to stop. You've been causing nothing but trouble and I'm getting really tired of it. You can't keep behaving this way. If you keep that behavior, I really will send you to the principal's office and I'll let him deal with you and your parents. Do you understand?"

"It's not like I haven't been there before." He told her, shrugging his shoulders and acting like he didn't even care. He looked out the window as he placed his hands behind his head. "You can do whatever you want. If they suspend me, then they'll actually be doing me a favor. Who wants to be in school anyways? It's so pointless to me."

"How can you say that?" Haruka asked him a bit surprised. She didn't understand why he was so negative and uncaring. It was in those moments, that Haruka missed her small children back in the elementary school. In that hour, they would probably making bracelets out of macaroni noodles. "Well, while you're in school, I need you to start turning in your work. I don't want you to fail my class because you didn't even bother to try. I'm sure you're a smart kid if you apply yourself."

"Me, smart? Yeah, right." He told her with a smirk and it wasn't until then that Haruka notice just how tall he really was. Now, that she was standing so close to him, she realized that her head was just above his shoulders. It was no wonder why he felt superior over her. "Don't come with that speech. Instead of wasting your time with me, why don't you just go back inside and continue on. They're ones that really want to learn."

Haruka stared at him a bit sadly before she let out a sigh. She didn't know what to do and part of her actually wanted to help him. She wanted to make him see the bright side of coming to school and how wonderful it was to learn new things. Shaking her head with disapproval, Haruka motioned him to go back inside. "C'mon. You need to copy tonight's homework and I hope you do it this time. It would really make me happy."

He didn't say anything, but Haruka could see his glare becoming a bit gentler. She smiled at him before she let him walk in first. She hoped she didn't have to do that everyday. Everything was just too stressful for her to handle and she didn't how much longer she could take it. Why in the world did they have to pick her anyways? Out of the entire elementary school, the only one fitted for a high school post was Naoki. His sturdy and unemotional face could probably scare everyone in heartbeat. She was the complete opposite of him and no one seemed to take her seriously; not her students nor her husband.

Haruka's heart suddenly dropped a bit as she thought of Yakumo. She sat down in her chair and looked at the picture frame she had in the corner of her desk. It was a picture of her and Yakumo and it was the only picture where they both actually looked happy. Haruka wished she could back to those days where she was able to smile sincerely and laugh genuinely. Their lives were so different now and they never seemed to have time for one another.

The day slowly passed by and Haruka couldn't be more happier to get out of the classroom. Still, before she headed home, she needed to go to the store and buy some groceries. The fridge was going empty again and Haruka was planning on cooking something for dinner. Even though she always ended up eating by herself, cooking always tended to make her feel better and it helped her distract her mind a bit.

Letting out a sigh, Haruka gripped on her purse as she walked down the sidewalk. She wondered what Yakumo was doing and she wondered if everything was going okay with the case he and Gotou were working on. They had had the same case for the entire week, but Haruka didn't know many details because Yakumo never told her anything. She knew that he didn't want her involved especially after what had happened, but still, did it hurt to talk to her every once in awhile? Haruka always felt so excluded whenever Yakumo and Gotou were around. They were always talking about things that she didn't understand.

Haruka suddenly perked her head when she saw a big crowd of people standing in front of a convenience store. They were all making a big fuss out of something and they all seemed pretty excited. Haruka stared at the crowd of people and she wondered what was going on. Letting curiosity get the best of her, Haruka started walking toward the crowd since the supermarket was in that direction anyways. She pushed herself through several people and managed to get a glimpse of what was going on inside the circle. Her jaw dropped when she realized that the crowd of people were watching a fight, a fight between two young boys.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she realized that one of the boys fighting was actually Kaoru Miyazaki, her homeroom student. She couldn't believe it. Not only did he cause trouble in her class, he also caused trouble in the streets. Haruka looked at him as he punched the other guy hard in the face. Blood immediately poured out the other guy's nose as he tumbled down to the ground. Miyazaki wasn't exactly scratchless. He had blood trickling down his mouth as well as the edge of his eye. He looked tired like if he had just ran a marathon. He was still wearing his white uniform shirt which probably meant that he hadn't gone home at all.

Miyazaki looked at his opponent again as he slowly started to stand up from the ground. The crowd of people were actually cheering them on and Haruka didn't understand why they hadn't called the police already. Were they really planning to watch them until the beat each other to death? When Miyazaki was about to attack his opponent again, Haruka pushed herself through the rest of crowd to get to him and by impulse, she grabbed his arm, stopping him from doing anymore damage.

"Miyazaki-san! What in the world are you doing?!" She snapped at him as she pulled him back angrily. She couldn't believe him. Why was he going around making everyone lives miserable? He looked at her a bit surprised, wiping some blood of his lips. "Stop this madness right now!"

He groaned as he turned to look at the guy he was fighting. His hands curled up into fists and he looked ready to charge at any moment. "Stay out of this! This isn't any of your business! You might be able to boss me around in class, but you sure as hell aren't going to tell me what to do out here! I can do whatever I want so go bother someone else! Get lost! I'm busy!"

Haruka ignored him and she wasn't going to let him talk to her that way. "Whether you like or not, I'm your teacher and I worry about you! I'm not going to let you kill yourself!" She grabbed his wrist and started pulling him away from the crowd, not caring what other people would think. She didn't stop walking until she made it to a bench outside a small cafe shop.

Even so, it surprised her to see that he wasn't protesting anymore. He was actually quiet and he wasn't scolding at her for stopping him. Letting out a sigh, Haruka motioned him to sit down as she started looking around her purse for a handkerchief. "Seriously, you need to think before you do these kinds of things. What would have happened if the police came along? They would have arrested you and then you would have gotten into some serious trouble for sure. Or what if another teacher caught you fighting that way? They would expel you without any hesitation. Look at your shirt. It's full of blood. What are your parents going to think when they see you like this?"

"I don't have any parents."

Haruka stopped scrummaging through her purse as a pang of sadness developed inside her chest. She bit her lips and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Maybe that was the reason why he acted so rebellious. He didn't have any parents. He didn't have anyone to guide him. He was alone. He was alone like her. "You shouldn't be picking fights, Miyazaki-san." Haruka quickly said, changing the topics as she pulled out a small handkerchief. "Here. Wipe some of that blood of your face at least."

He took the handkerchief from her hand and he slowly starting doing what he was told. Then, he let out a sigh before he leaned back against the bench. "Thanks. I probably would have kept on going until I passed out. It wasn't the first time that guy and I fought. I beat him last time and the time before that. I'm sure I would have beaten him this time too."

Haruka didn't exactly know what to say. As a teacher, she was suppose to give him advice, but she her mind had just drawn a blank. Scratching the back of her head, Haruka let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky. "Don't let it happen again. I won't let it slide so easily next time."

"Yeah, right. You have no authority at all." He told her plainly, making her pout. She already knew that and she definitely didn't want to be reminded. "You're not fitted to be a high school teacher at all and your teaching stinks. I wasn't lying when I said you were boring. Maybe it's the subject, but I think it's just you. Maybe you should have tried working as the Gym Coach assistant assistant's assistant. That's probably more suited for you."

Crossing her hands, Haruka tried not to let his dumb comment get to her. "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me as your teacher for who knows how long, so you better do your homework. I'm not going to feel sorry for you when report cards come out. I'll gladly give you a failing grade."

"I guess you're not too bad as person." He told her with a small smile, a smile Haruka hadn't seen since she had gotten there. He held out her handkerchief, showing her the blood stains. "I guess I'll wash this for you. I don't think you want my blood all over this."

"Just keep it." Haruka told him as she fixed her purse around her shoulder. She needed to shop for some groceries for the it got dark. She hated being out so late at night since the darkness always tended to creep her out. "I'll see you tomorrow in class and please don't forget to do your homework."

"I'll probably forget." He told her bluntly, making Haruka roll her eyes. Even after everything she had done for him, he was still acting disobedient. "As long as I don't forget to come to class. Right...sensei?"

Haruka shook her head, but a small smile managed to escape her lips. She was about to start walking away when Miyazaki reached out to grab her wrist. She quickly turned around to look at him, wondering what was wrong. "Miyazaki-san?"

"By any chance, did you happened to know Akari? Akari Yoshino?" He asked her and his face almost looked desperate. Haruka stared at him a bit confused, not knowing what he was talking about. As far as she knew, she had never heard that name before. She wondered why Miyazaki was bringing it up to her. "Are you related to her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Haruka told him as she pulled her hand from his grasp. She stared at him a bit strangely and she could see his mouth slowly curving into a frown. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who she is."

"Oh, nevermind then. I'll see you tomorrow." He quickly told her as he put his hands in his pockets. He turned around in the opposite direction, but before he started walking away, he tilted his head to say a few more words to her. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, Sensei."

With that, he gave her a small smile before he started heading down the sidewalk. Haruka stared at him and she couldn't help but wonder what else could be troubling him. It was already sad enough that he didn't have any parents. Letting out the millionth sigh, Haruka pulled out her cellphone from her purse and was sad to realize that she zero missed calls. She slowly closed her eyes and let the gentle breeze sooth her hair.

She had her own problems to worry about.

…


	22. Hidden Affections

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I wasn't sure about updating today, but in the end, I just couldn't help myself. Once again, I have my music on blast while I keep going back and forth to tumblr. Man, that thing is really addicting. I started it a couple of months ago and at first I didn't get it at all. It was so confusing and frustrating, but now, I'm completely in love with it. I'm starting to waste a lot of my time there, though. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! I'm so glad that you all have been taking your time to read and review my story. It makes me really happy. So, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations! _

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 22 - Hidden Affections**

The rain was coming down pretty hard and she had no choice but to wait inside the building. She didn't think it would rain, so she didn't bother to bring an umbrella to school. Haruka groaned as she looked out the window by the front door. She wondered how long she would have to wait inside the school until the rain ceased. Every now and then, Haruka could see a ray of lightning flashing across the dark sky, followed by a loud roar of thunder.

Haruka adjusted her purse on her shoulder, wondering if she should just make a run for it. Her apartment building wasn't too far away. The high school was a lot closer than the elementary school she used to work in. Still, she would get soaked either way. She could also ask Yakumo to come pick her up. He was probably with Gotou and he did have a car, but she didn't want to bother him.

As of the moment, things weren't going too well with him. Ever since their moment in the hospital, Yakumo had hardly had a conversation with her at all and she was starting to get the feeling that she was being avoided. She didn't understand why. If something was bothering him, why couldn't he just tell her? They were suppose support each other and they were suppose to be there for one another. They weren't acting like a married couple in the least. How was she suppose to change that when she hardly saw him at all? Whenever she did see him, he was either asleep or he was too busy with something to pay attention to her.

A loud sound of thunder snapped her from her thoughts. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly wrapped her arms around her body to give herself some warmth. It was really getting chillier and she had completely forgotten to bring a sweater. It was clearly not her day. To make things worse, she caught several students cheating on the test she given out and she still had to go home to grade them. With the weather that was going on, Haruka felt that she would be trapped inside the school for a long time. She really needed to find an umbrella at least if she ever wanted to get home.

Letting out a small sigh, Haruka looked down at the floor as she heard another faint sound of thunder. It was getting really late and it was already about to six in the evening. Now, she was getting tired since she wasn't able to get a wink of sleep. Then again, who would be able to fall asleep knowing that their husband is still out and running about. Why couldn't he take a break once in awhile? Why couldn't she find the courage to tell him that she also needed some time? With every passing day, her confidence levels were getting lower and lower.

"Man, it's raining cats and dogs out there, isn't it?" Haruka didn't have to turn around to know that Kaoru Miyazaki was standing behind her. She that was his voice. "By the way, what did I get in that test we took today? For the first time, I think I actually passed. I tried to study and I even opened my textbook, but I fell asleep on the first page. Why do they write those books so boring? If they put more pictures in them, they would probably be a thousand times more interesting."

"I haven't graded them yet." Haruka told him simply as she continued to look out the window. She kept wondering when the rain would stop. She really wanted to get home and put that day behind her. "I'll let you know tomorrow, along with everyone else. I think studying would really help your grades, so you should start getting used to it."

He stayed silent as he stood right next to her. He tilted his head a little and turned to look at her. "Why are you still here anyways? Are you waiting for the rain to stop?"

Haruka nodded, sliding her purse up her shoulder. She looked at Miyazaki and managed to give him a small smile despite her exhaustion. "Yes, I forgot to bring an umbrella today and I guess I have no choice but to wait until the rain stops. It's already slowing down. I'm sure it'll stop in no time."

"I see." He said and it wasn't until then that he handed her an umbrella. Haruka looked at it a bit surprised, unsure of what he was doing. "Here. You can take mine then. I don't really need it. I have to work today and my job isn't really far from here. I can probably make it there in five minutes."

"Oh, no." Haruka quickly told him, shaking her hands back and forth with disapproval. "That isn't necessary. You don't have to do that for me. I wouldn't want you to get sick because of me. It's yours. You don't have to worry about it. I'll be fine. Like I said, the rain is already slowing down."

"I don't care. Just take it." He told her as he extended the umbrella closer to her. Haruka looked at it with hesitation, but her hand wanted to reach out to grab it. "Besides, I owe you one for the handkerchief you gave the other day. Remember? I was never able to get those blood stains off. I scrubbed on it really hard, but it was useless. So just take the umbrella."

He placed his jacket's hoodie over his head and he turned to look at her with a funny smile. Haruka let out a small laugh as she shook her head. She took the umbrella from him and he immediately stuck his hands in his pockets. He walked toward the door and opened it, but before he stepped outside, he turned to look back at her. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, Sensei. Stay safe and don't let yourself get sick. You're the only reason I'm coming to school at all."

Haruka's eyes widen a little at his last comment, but all he did was give her another another smile. He stepped outside into the cold air and Haruka couldn't help but wonder if he was teasing her again. Either way, she was able to get an umbrella and she would be able to get home in time to grade her papers and make dinner. With that in mind, Haruka also walked toward the door and before she stepped outside, she opened the umbrella and placed it over her head.

It was only sprinkling by that point, but mother nature was always a mystery. She was grateful Miyazaki had let her borrow the umbrella and she would have to make sure she gave it back to him tomorrow. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what went through that boy's mind. Ever since she had caught him fighting in the streets, she had started noticing small changes in him. He didn't fall asleep in class as often and she would occasionally catch him taking notes. He had also started to turn in his homework even though half of it would be wrong. Even so, it made her happy to see that he was trying and it made her even happier to think that her words had actually made a difference.

Haruka stopped walking as she stood in front of the school gate. She could hear the droplets of rain falling on top of the umbrella as she stood in there in a daze. Maybe she wasn't entirely useless after all. There were people out there like Miyazaki who believed in her as a person and as a teacher. Letting out a small sigh, Haruka turned to her right and started walking down the sidewalk. She didn't have to time to space around. She needed to get home since there were still so many things she needed to do. She would make dinner first and then she would grade those tests.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if she going to eat alone again.

…

How was he suppose to face her? How was he suppose to look at her in the eye after what had happened? Those questions kept invading his mind and even though he thought about it all day, Yakumo couldn't find the answers he was looking for. He kept taking on cases with Gotou to keep his mind of things. He kept avoiding her so he wouldn't be reminded of his failure. But, it was all in vain. There were times when he couldn't stop thinking about her and recently he had been dreaming a lot about her too.

So, what was he suppose to do to erase that image from his mind? He could still remember the way he had lifted her cold body of the ground after she had been attacked by that bastard Shirou. He could still remember the way he had called out to her only to receive no response. That had become a part of the past, but it still didn't fail to torment him. She had never been so close to death before and if he hadn't gotten there when he had, then she would have really died. He didn't like to think about that possibility, but it was a reality he had face.

Everything was his fault. He was never there for her and sometimes he didn't know if his presence made her safer or brought her into more danger. If she hadn't married him, she would probably be living a normal and peaceful life. She wouldn't be loaded with problems and she wouldn't be overwhelmed with the presence of ghosts. That's what he was bound to bring because of his cursed left eye. She considered it beautiful, but he knew that it was far from beautiful.

With a yawn, Yakumo searched for his keys inside his pocket. It was already past midnight, but the good thing about it was that he and Gotou were able to close a case that they had been working on for an entire week. In the end, everything turned out to be a scam and his assistance had ended up to be meaningless. Yakumo placed the key inside the lock and slowly opened the door to find a dark looking apartment.

What had he expected? Did he actually think she would stay up waiting for him? Yakumo smirked at himself as he closed the door behind him. He let out another yawn as he tossed the keys on top of the TV. He was about to walk toward the kitchen when he found Haruka laying on top of the dining table. There were papers scattered all over the place and Yakumo walked over to her to take a vloser look. It was only until then that he realized that she was fast asleep with a pen in her hand. She had probably been working and by the looks of it, she seemed to have been grading papers.

Yakumo let out a sigh as he watched her breathing in and out. Everything was his fault. He was the one that causing her all that stress. He was the one that was always putting her life in danger. Leaning down a bit closer, Yakumo pushed some of her hair off her face and he wanted to call out her name. He wanted to see her eyes and he wanted to see her smile. Then again, what right did he have to wake her up? She had probably had countless of sleepless nights because of him. He was always running around with Gotou that sometimes he didn't even bother to come home.

Turning to look at the kitchen, Yakumo could see the piled up pots and pans in the sink. Not only had she working on her school work, but she had also bothered to make dinner. She was really such a perfect and devoted wife. He clearly didn't deserve her. Yakumo grinned to himself as he looked down at her again. He should have realized that sooner. He should have realized all the anguish he was going to cause her before he got married. That would have saved them both a lot of trouble. Maybe he shouldn't have married her at all.

Still, how could he? He wanted her for himself. When he had heard that Isshi had planned to make her his girlfriend, he couldn't stand the idea and it completely annoyed him to think about it. She was always by his side and Yakumo wanted to keep it that way. She was the only one in the world that would be able to deal with a person like him and up to that point, she had proven him to be right. No other woman in their right sense would put up with his crap like the way she did. He was sure that no other woman would have the patience and devotion she had. It was clear that her love for him was unconditional.

How long were things going to stay that way between them, though? When was he going to change? He thought he would become a different man if he married her, but in the end, he remained the same. Everything remained the same. He still placed Haruka in danger, he still solved cases for a living, he still locked up his emotions, and he still had a cursed eye.

Yakumo took the pen from her hand and placed it down on the table. He stacked up her papers in neat pile, but he made sure to not wake her up. Then, he slowly picked her up from the chair and carried her bridal style to their bedroom. Yakumo took her toward their bed and he slowly laid her down on top of it with her head gently pressing a pillow. She groaned underneath her breath, but Yakumo watched as curled herself on top of the mattress. With that being done, he started pulling out the blanket, placing it over her fragile body.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Yakumo changed out of his clothes and dried off some of the rain on his hair. It was still raining outside and he could hear it hitting against the window. The room would get lit up by the lightening every now and then, but Yakumo didn't need it to find himself around in the darkness. After he had finished his business in the bathroom, Yakumo headed toward the bed again and he laid down right next to his wife.

She was clearly fast asleep and she probably wouldn't realize him there until morning. She would probably be happy to see him and he could already imagine her smiling face. Yakumo turned his body sideways, so he could see her a bit better. Another smile appeared in his face as he pushed her hair away from her face again. If he let himself, he could probably stay up all night just to watch her. It was the only time he was able to stare at her without feeling awkward or embarrassed.

He would never tell her and he would never say out loud just how much he truly loved her.

…


	23. Losses

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I didn't think I was going to update today, but I'm so glad that I did. I was distracted today as usual and can never get myself to type anything if I'm not alone with the television off and with my earplugs in my ears. That's the only way I can get myself to concentrate. I always put that much thought into my stories. Then, I rewatched PDY this week and I have come up with the conclusion that it's an amazing anime! I love it so much that it hurts!_

_Anyways, I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! So, please excuse my grammatical errors I hope this chapter meets your expectations! _

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 23 - Losses**

Haruka let out a long sigh as she looked down at her lunch. Once again, she had had a troubling morning since she had gotten up way too early for her own liking. The sound of the rain had woken her up and then, she was surprised to find Yakumo sleeping right next to her with his arm around her body. Haruka could still remember the way his hot breath was hitting the back of her neck.

She turned to look at the window, watching the rain hit the glass roughly. She began to wonder if Yakumo had even noticed her leaving. She had wanted to wake him up so he could at least eat breakfast with her, but when she called out his name, he didn't even budge. That's the way he always was, though, so it really didn't surprise her. Still, was it so hard for him to get up to at least see his wife off to work?

Disappointed with herself, Haruka closed her lunch box and grabbed her bottle of water instead. She slowly turned the cap before she was lost in thought again. She was married and yet, she felt so utterly lonely sometimes, completely unwanted and forgotten. She knew Yakumo cared about her, but why did he only show his emotions when she's in danger? It was always like that, ever since she could remember. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder why he had married her in the first place. She felt more like a burden to him than a wife since she was always giving him more trouble than he really needed.

Her hands curled into small fists as that idea brought tears in her eyes. Even so, whether Yakumo loved her or not, she loved him with all her heart and she wanted to be with him. She didn't want to give up on him so easily and she wished he could just say his feelings so they could clear up the fog that was surrounding them. She hated when she doubted him, but sometimes she just couldn't help it since her loneliness grew with each passing day. Haruka rubbed her eyes with her hands as she tried to erase evidence of her sadness. What she needed to do was talk to him, but bringing up that particular topic seemed a little bit difficult for her.

"Hello. You're Haruka Saitou, right?" Haruka looked up to find two women, around their mid-30s, standing right in front of her. "You're the new teacher?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm Haruka Saitou." She told them politely, twisting the bottle cap a little tighter than normal. This was the first time any of the other teachers approached her for unrelated school matters. Haruka gulped as she gave them a small smile. She was about to get up to greet them properly when the two teachers sat down right in front of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, indeed." The one with the short hair told her, her voice turning a bit stiff. That's when Haruka began to wonder what they really wanted. She doubted they had just come up to her to greet. In moments like those, Haruka wished she was back in her elementary school eating with Hana and Naoki. She wondered if they missed her. "I'm Kaori Azuma. You might already know this, but I'm a third year English teacher. We share the same students apparently."

The other teacher sat quietly next to her and she didn't bother to introduce herself since she had already had an encounter with her. Her name was Miyu Nanase and she was a math teacher. Haruka had to ask her for help on her first day of school since she had gotten herself lost. Haruka gave her a small smile, but she didn't receive anything in return. Why did it seem like they didn't like her very much? "Thank you for helping me on my first day here. I couldn't have found my first classroom without your help."

"Anyways, how have things been going with you?" Azuma started, placing her chin over hands. Haruka could feel her looking in her direction intensely and she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It sounded to her like the beginning of an interrogation. "You did have teaching experience before this, didn't you?"

"Yes. I do have teaching experience if you must know." Haruka told her, furrowing her eyebrows. Why did it seem like they didn't trust her? Why did she feel like all the teachers always looked down at her? Did she look that pathetic? Well, whatever the case was, Haruka knew that she didn't come to that high school by choice. She was happy in her elementary school, but she was forced to transfer. "I used to teach at an elementary school that's a couple of miles away from here. I'm only here temporarily, until the staff finds a more suitable teacher that can replace the previous one before me."

"That's good because you're not strict enough with the students." Azuma suddenly snapped at her, leaning forward and trying to intimidate her. Haruka was a bit surprised by her attitude, but she had other things to worry about. "You're not fitted to be a high school teacher at all. I think you should go back to wherever it is you came from. I'm telling you this for your own good. If you don't lay a firm hand on these kids, they'll trample all over you and they'll think they can do whatever they want without getting in trouble."

"Why are you telling me this?" Haruka asked her as she gripped on her bottle of water. Was that the reason they looked down at her? Was it because they didn't she was qualified to be a high school teacher? "I think I have done my job very well so far. I teach my students the way I'm told to and they are learning. Only one or two failed the exam I gave them the other day. My methods might not be perfect, but they are working."

"I heard one of the students commenting on how Kaoru Miyazaki behaves in your class." Azuma snapped at her, driving her mind to a blank. "Not only is he disruptive, but he's rude and he has no manners. You should not continue to let him behave that way. If he acts up for any reason, you need to send him to the principal's office immediately. That boy is nothing but trouble. It's not right that you're giving him all that freedom."

Haruka didn't exactly know what to say, so she looked down at the table to avoid their eyes. It was true that Miyazaki was a bit disruptive and loud, but he was a good kid. He had started doing his work lately and not only that, he often tended to raise his hand whenever he had a question. He was changing, but Haruka couldn't exactly tell them all of that. If she did, then she would only get questioned about it. "That's a bit of an exaggeration."

"I'm just giving you a warning, Saitou-san." She told her, lowering her voice a little so that the other teachers around them wouldn't hear them. "That boy has made me go through pure hell. I've probably sent him like twenty times to the principal's. He's a troublemaker, Saitou, and if you don't control him now, then he'll only make you go through hell as well. Trust me. He's always talks back to me and he's always slacking off. He disrupts all my lessons and he mocks me to top it all off. Kaoru Miyazaki is a nightmare for any teacher and whenever I call his guardians, they always say they have no control over him. It's only a matter of time before he gets expelled."

Haruka stood up from her seat, not wanting to hear anymore. She couldn't believe what she was actually telling her all of that and it almost sounded like she wanted him to get expelled. Gripping tightly on her lunch box, Haruka glared down at her and she could feel a tint of anger inside her heart. "You're tell me that I'm not fitted to be a high school teacher, but I think you should look at yourself before you criticize me."

Azuma stared at her furiously and Haruka could see she had just made an enemy. Still, she couldn't help but feel angry toward her. How could she talk about one of her own students that way? What type of teacher was she? It was true that Miyazaki wasn't an ideal student, but that didn't mean she had the right to call him a nightmare. He was changing and Haruka was the witness of how hard he was trying in her class. "Instead of complaining about one your students, maybe you should start thinking of a way to help him."

Without saying another word, Haruka left the table and before she stepped out the teacher's lounge she threw her lunch inside the trash. Azuma and her little sidekick had completely ruined her appetite and she clearly didn't want to be around them anymore. Miyazaki wasn't as bad as they were putting him out to be. Sure he was a bit rude and energetic, but that was probably his nature. He didn't have any parents after all, no one was there to guide him down the right path.

With a sigh, Haruka began to walk down the hallway, heading toward her next classroom. There were still a couple of minutes left before lunch was over so she walked over to the window to see the rain falling on top of the basketball court. She started remembering her high school years, the years before Yakumo entered her life. She always had little friends and she was always struggling to keep up with her grades. She never had boyfriend even though she was confessed to once or twice. She couldn't exactly remember. Of course, she turned them down because she had no particular interest in them. The guy she did have a brief crush on, though, never noticed her.

Sometimes she felt that was the case with Yakumo. He never bothered to be with her and it was rare whenever he showed affection toward her. She had never heard him once say that he loved her, not even on their wedding day. Still, it didn't make sense to her. If he didn't love her, then why would he marry her? She knew he cared about her and she knew he was used to being with her, but did he love her? Did he love her as much as she did? Haruka let out a sigh as she looked up at the cloudy sky. Why couldn't Yakumo just be normal husband with normal feelings and desires?

"Saitou-sensei! Saitou-sensei!" Haruka turned around to find Seiya Takamatsu running in her direction. Completely out of breath, she stopped in front of her and she immediately grabbed her arms for support. Haruka couldn't help but grow worried as she looked at her homeroom student with concern. "Thank heaven I found you!"

"Why? What's going on, Takamatsu-san?" Haruka asked, helping her stand up straight. She was too busy catching her breath and Haruka could see that she was having trouble breathing. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"Miyazaki is fighting by the stairway! He's threatening to push a kid down the stairs!" She suddenly told her in one go, grabbing her arms a little tighter. Haruka couldn't believe what she was saying as she stared at her with confusion. "Please, Saitou-sensei! We need to do something!"

Without thinking about it twice, Haruka started running down the hallway, hoping she would get there before any of the other teachers noticed. It was understandable that the other teachers didn't like Miyazaki, but Haruka felt sorry for him and she wanted to help him. Miyazaki probably had more problems than he could probably deal with so it was only natural that he would take out his anger and frustration on others. Still, Haruka wasn't about to allow it. She couldn't let him cause more trouble. She wondered what had happened since he had been starting to act a little a better.

When Haruka finally arrived to the stairway, she found Miyazaki holding on to a student by the collar in the air, threatening to throw him down the stairs. She knew he wouldn't do it, but she wasn't about to take that chance. She immediately ran toward him and pulled him back as hard she could. Surprised, he dropped the guy in hands to the ground before turning to look at her with angry face. "What the hell do you want?! This is none of your business so stay out of it!"

Other students started gathering around, but Haruka quickly told them that everything was going to be okay. She sent Miyazaki's victim to the nurses office with Takamatsu since he had a few drops of blood on his mouth. Once everyone was gone, Haruka turned her focus back on Miyazaki. "What in the world did you think you were doing?! Do you know how dangerous that was?! You can't do those kinds of things, Miyazaki! Don't ever do that again! Do you understand?! I can't believe you were actually threatening the life of another student!"

"He ticked me off! What was I suppose to do?! Hold in my anger? That doesn't work with me!" Miyazaki barked back at her, making her take step back. "That jerk! He's was looking for a fight and he found one! If I see that punk again, I swear I'll beat him dead!"

Getting annoyed, Haruka pulled Miyazaki into the nearest empty classroom she could find. She couldn't believe what he was actually saying. Just how troubled was he? "Are you listening to yourself?! This is exactly why other teachers have a hard time liking you! You never show them what a dedicated student you're capable of being! How they ever suppose to believe in you when you're always doing things to disappoint and discourage them?!"

"So, what?" Miyazaki told her with a smirk, looking down at her. "Are you telling me that you do believe in me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"I do believe in you." Haruka told him firmly and she watched his smirk slip away from his face. "You're a good person, but you don't show it. I've seen the way you've worked in my class and that's why I think you're a very capable person. You just don't apply yourself. Even so, as a teacher, I can't afford to let this slide by. I'm going to have to report this to the principal or else I'll get in trouble. I've already been scolded for not being strict enough. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He suddenly told her and Haruka could hear softness inside his voice. "I'll probably just get suspended and my aunt will probably get called in again. It's not like she cares what I do anyways. She doesn't care about me. The only reason she has herself listed as my guardian is so that she could get some of the money that my parents left behind after they died. That old hag doesn't give a shit about me."

He took a couple of steps toward her and Haruka could see the pain inside his eyes. She could see the way he was being troubled by that thought. "Miyazaki-san, you know you can talk to me if something is troubling you. I'm your teacher and I want to help you."

"They all died. My entire family died in a car accident. My mother, my father, my brother, everyone. I'm the only that survived because I wasn't there with them. I had stayed home because I preferred to play video games than visiting grandma." He told her, covering his eyes with his hair. He was losing his composure, but Haruka was glad that he trusted her enough with his pain. Something Yakumo never did. "But, that's only a part of what I carry because she also ended up dying."

The minute he said those words, he broke down and he leaned his head on top of her shoulder. Haruka didn't do or say anything. She just let him pour his heart away. She was there for him as a teacher, as an advisor and as a friend. "Her apartments went up in flames and she was trapped inside. I couldn't do anything to save her. I couldn't get to her in time. I lost her. I lost my only reason to live. Akari Yoshino, she was the only that helped me get through my parents death. She was the only one that actually cared about me, but she left me. She died and left me here to suffer alone."

Haruka placed her hand on top of his head and she tried her best to comfort him, but her own tears were rolling down her face. She couldn't even imagine the loneliness he was probably going through. She thought she was lonely, but she had Yakumo. She had Gotou and Hana and Naoki. She knew they would always be there for her. They would always come to her rescue. Miyazaki didn't have anyone. He was truly alone and he couldn't even count on his own relatives. Haruka's loneliness couldn't be compared to his. They were in totally different levels and his pain was probably more unbearable than her own.

"Shit. Why the hell am I telling you all of this? You're a nobody. You're just a teacher." He spat out at her, but Haruka knew he didn't really mean it. He was just angry at himself for letting his emotions slip out. He kept his head on her shoulder, hiding his face from her. "Thanks for being here with me, Sensei. You're the first person I have ever said this to. That must mean that you're a pretty important person to me."

Haruka nodded, but she as at a loss of words. She didn't know what to say to possibly comfort him and she knew her words wouldn't erase his suffering anyways. He was so young and he had already gone through so much. She wondered if he was even okay living on his own. He needed help and yet, there was no one around but her to reach out for him. The other teachers took him for a troublemaker while the other students took him for obnoxious. Was she really the only one that had bothered to listen to him?

"Please, Sensei." He suddenly said in a faint whisper. "I don't want you to leave me too."

...


	24. Uncertainty

**Psychic Detective Yakumo**

_I'm so sorry it took way too long to update. I actually had writer's block and I couldn't make it go away. I really hate when that happens. I just finished my first fanfic ever a couple of days ago and I'm sure this one is next. I don't know when yet, though. After all, we still have to see Yakumo and Haruka making babies *coughs*_.

_I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect.! You all are awesome and I wouldn't be able to update without your support. So please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!_

* * *

**Won't Give Up**

**Chapter 24 - Uncertainty**

It had been another long exhausting day and Haruka just couldn't wait to get home. She let out the millionth sigh of that day before she stepped out the school building. The rain had finally stopped, but there were still a few clouds and the sun was barely starting to break through them. Haruka could feel the sun's warmth hitting her skin, curving her lips into a small smile. It would have been a lovely evening if she hadn't had a rough encounter with Miyazaki earlier.

He told her everything, he burdened his pain on her shoulder and Haruka didn't know what she was suppose to do to help him. He had lost everyone that was precious to him and his current guardians didn't care about him at all. With everything that had happened, Haruka couldn't help but wonder if Miyazaki was really okay. She had sent him to the principal's office, but she wasn't able to see him after that. She wondered what his punishment would be for starting a fight and she hoped from the bottom of her heart that they didn't suspend or expel him. That wouldn't help his situation in the least.

It was clear to her that he felt more lonely than anyone, but what was she suppose to do? He was her student and she wanted to help him in anyway that she could, but she didn't know how. Haruka looked down at the ground before she started walking toward the front gate again. She wished she had someone she could talk to about it. She wished she had someone that could give advice on what to do. Yakumo wasn't really a person she could exactly turn since she hardly even saw him at all.

"Sensei?" Haruka turned around at the sound of that voice and she was surprised to find Miyazaki standing beside a tree. He smiled at her before he started walking in her direction. Haruka looked at him with disbelief since she figured him to be home already. It was already late in the afternoon and the school was practically empty. Could it be that he was waiting for her? Haruka shook that thought from her head since it sounded pretty ridiculous. "It took you long enough."

"What in the world are you still doing here?" Haruka asked with a scowl as she gripped on her purse a bit tighter. He shrugged his shoulders with a devilish smirk before he stood right next to her. He placed his hands behind his head, letting out a yawn. "Aren't you in trouble for what happened? Didn't they send you home after trying to hurt your classmate?"

"Nope. They didn't. The principal's already tired of me." He told her coolly, pushing his hair away from his face. Then, he looked at her and Haruka could see a strange kindness forming inside his eyes. "He just gave me a couple of hours of detention. It was boring as hell, but I was able to make it through. I probably have to stay tomorrow and the day after that too. I swear. They made clean around and do some school work. You have any idea how boring that was. I felt like running out of there. So annoying."

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson then." Haruka told him as she continued walking. However, Miyazaki ended up following her and for some reason, it made her feel nervous. "You can't just go around picking fights with people. No matter what the reasons are, violence isn't going to solve anything. It's a good thing that the principal went easy with you. There aren't many people like him around."

"Yeah, I guess." He stated with a loud sigh and Haruka suddenly heard his steps quiet down. He started lagging behind with his voice getting a bit low. "Thank you, Sensei. Thanks for listening to me. You didn't have to. I mean, who would even care about a guy like me? Nobody had ever noticed or bothered with me until you came along. You suck as a teacher, but you're a pretty awesome person."

Haruka stopped walking and her body suddenly froze. She wasn't used to being thanked to and she definitely wasn't used to getting compliments. Gulping silently to herself, Haruka turned back to find Miyazaki smiling at her. His smile was warm and sincere and she couldn't help but smile back. Despite his cold exterior, he was a pretty gentle and kind person. "There's nothing for you to be grateful for." She told him honestly which took him by surprise. "You're my student and I care what happens to you. I'm always here to help."

"Really?" He replied with some embarrassment, but the only thing she could do was nod. She stepped outside the school gate, but stopped to look back at her student. She wished Yakumo could be as open as Miyazaki. He was just as troubled as he was, but unlike him, Miyazaki actually trusted her with his problems. "That's good to know then, Sensei. It's nice to come to school knowing that someone actually gives a damn about you. Those other teachers don't give a crap about their students."

"Please don't talk bad about others." Haruka told him since he was starting to forget that she was a teacher herself. "And please watch your language. Don't forget that I'm your teacher. Also, don't forget to do the homework. There's going to a quiz over that section so I recommend you study for it."

"Fine. Fine. This is what I mean when I say you suck as a teacher. You're just so lame." He said, making her pout. Haruka gave him a serious glare which in turn only made him laugh. "Why can't you forget about school work for just a second? You're always rubbing it in. I'm not going to forget. I already did half of it and if you don't believe me, I can show it to you. It's somewhere folded in my pocket. You want to see it?"

Haruka shook her head with some amusement before she let out a sigh. "Well, that's good then." She stated, adjusting her handbag on her shoulder. She was glad things had gone well with Miyazaki and she glad that the principal hadn't suspend him. Now, she just hoped he didn't have another breakdown. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Miyazaki-san. Remember to behave yourself."

She was about to walk away, but Miyazaki suddenly grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving. Haruka turned around with bewilderment, unsure of what he was doing. He looked at her straight in the eyes and she could feel him getting closer to her. "Sensei, if you like I could walk you home. It's getting pretty late and it's dangerous for a woman to walk alone."

Haruka pulled her hand from his reach and she tried to not act too surprised by his sudden offer. She shook her hands back and forth with a crooked smile on her face. "Oh, no! It's okay. Don't worry about it. I walk home all the time. It's nothing new."

"Are you sure?" He asked her, making Haruka take a step back. "I mean, I'm not working today and I honestly wouldn't mind. Please, Sensei. Just let me walk you home. I like being with you. I want to be with you. I really want-"

"That's what I'm here for." A voice suddenly interrupted him and Haruka didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Her heart immediately started pounding like crazy, her eyes widening with shock. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe that he was actually there. Clearing her throat, Haruka took a deep breath before she slowly turned around. Their eyes met and she could tell by a long shot that Yakumo didn't look too happy.

"I came to pick you up."

…

Yakumo had decided to come wait for her even though he wasn't entirely sure when she came out. He was never around after all and he had no idea at what time she usually came home. She was always the one that was waiting for him. She was always the one that got home first. That's why he decided to come pick her up from work. It wasn't really like him, but it was the least thing he could do since he had missed to see her in the morning. He had woken up too late and he didn't get a chance to be with her long enough.

If he would have known she had company, he wouldn't have bothered at all. Yakumo stared at her as he placed his hands in his pockets. She was completely surprised to see him and Yakumo couldn't really blame her since he still wasn't sure what he was doing there himself. He stared at the kid that was standing behind her and he was just as surprised to him as she was. His reaction was pretty strange, but there was something else that was bothering Yakumo greatly.

"Yakumo?" Haruka suddenly said as she walked toward him with bewilderment. She stared at him, but Yakumo stayed still, leaning his back against the wall. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be working with Gotou-san or something. Did something happen?"

"Why? Why do you find it so surprising that I took a day off?" Yakumo asked her. He tried to keep his voice calm, but his sudden anger was starting to give him away. He didn't understand it. He didn't understand why she had let a student get so familiar with her. He had heard most of their conversation since she hadn't noticed him at all. The way they had spoken to one another didn't seem like a normal teacher to student conversation. Was she that way with everyone? Just how slow and stupid was she? "Let's go. I've waited for you long enough."

Yakumo turned around and he didn't even bother to look at her when she excused herself from the kid. It wasn't long before he felt her following him. He could hear her shoes hitting the sidewalk loudly, her breath getting a bit out of control. Had he surprised her that much? Yakumo shifted his gaze to her to find her face flushed up. "Yakumo?" She called out to him, making him slow his pace a little. "Why didn't you tell me that you were taking a day off? We could have planned something together. I could have tried to get out of work earlier."

"It's fine. Don't stress yourself about it." He snapped at her even though he knew it wasn't right. He didn't want to take his anger off her, but he couldn't help it. He had heard the way that kid had said he wanted to be with her and it made him angry to think about it. What the hell was that even suppose to mean? What was he trying to imply? What would have happened if he hadn't bothered to show up? Yakumo gritted his teeth as he thought about it. Why did it bother him so much? Was he that insecure and uncertain?

"I didn't really take a day off. I was just on my way to perform an 'exorcism'. There's this man that said he saw a ghost in his apartment. He contacted me through Hijikata-san and he wanted me to check the place out." He told her calmly as he turned back to look at her. "Of course, he's paying me to do this."

People still tended to confuse him for an exorcist and sometimes, he didn't have a problem with it. It was an easy way to bring money even though it was a pain especially when the requests came frequently. Yakumo let out a sigh as he placed his hands back in his pockets. That was his way of life, though and he knew that he would never be able to change that. Even though he was married, he would always be tied down by his red and cursed eye.

Despite him surprising her, Yakumo could sense that there was something wrong with her. She was too quiet for her nature and she wasn't even bothering herself to explain what she was doing with that student. They probably weren't doing anything wrong, but still, he didn't like it and he didn't even know why. It bothered him to see her with someone else. It bothered him to see her acting so casual with another person. He curled his hands into fist before bending his head down a little. He didn't have the right to complain, though since everything was partially his fault. "Hey?" He suddenly called out to her, hearing her silently gasp. "You have anything you want say?"

"No. Not really." She told him, but Yakumo could hear the uncertainty inside her voice. "It's just that I had a pretty long day. I'm just tired, I guess. Anyways, thank you for picking me up from work today. It was really quite a surprise."

"Yeah, sure." He replied, but his anger still wouldn't wash away. He wanted to ask her a million questions. He wanted to ask her so many things, but he knew that he would never get himself to say anything. It seemed pointless to him and he would just have to trust her. Even if he kept drilling that inside his head, a part of him was still anxious. "It's nothing."

He had come all that way just to see another guy all over her. How the hell was he suppose to feel when she practically let him? He saw the way he was looking at her and it still pissed him off to think about it. If he hadn't said something, would that student have made a move toward his wife? Yakumo didn't even know what bothered him more.

"Yakumo?" She suddenly said and Yakumo could feel her hand touching the side of his arm. He stopped walking before he turned his attention toward her. She looked so helpless and that was enough to wash some of his frustration away. It wasn't her fault. If she ended up looking refuge in another person, it wouldn't be her fault. It would be his because he was a failure as a husband. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" He asked her a bit too quickly for his own liking. He leaned down a little so he could get a closer look at her face. Even though she was a klutz and a complete idiot, she was his wife. She belonged to him and she was under his responsibility. "What's wrong? You seem kind of worried about something."

"I am." She told him quietly with her voice staggering away. Surprisingly enough, she gripped tightly on his shirt before she leaned her head over his chest. "It's him. I'm worried about him, Kaoru Miyazaki, my student. He's been through so much and I want to help him, but I don't know what to do. He's a really nice boy and he really does try his best. Still, everyone in the staff has lost faith in him and they actually want him to get expelled. I can't blame them. He tried to throw someone down the stairway today and he really would have if someone hadn't stopped him. There's just so much pain he's carrying. He has nobody he can trust. Such loneliness must be so sad."

Yakumo didn't exactly know what to say, but a part of him was starting to understand. He let out another quiet sigh before he placed his hand over her head. He pulled her in a little closer, letting her warmth travel through his body. "I can see that you're doing everything you can and I'm sure everything is going to fine. You have the habit of changing people. I'm sure your kindness will be able to reach him like the way it did to me."

Her body stiffen and she quickly looked up at him. Her eyes widen as she stared straight into his eyes. How could he not love her? How could he not care about her? Aside from everything else, she was probably the only woman that could ever put up with him.

"Yakumo," She whispered as she placed her hand over her face. She caressed his cheeks, making something stir inside his chest. It was until then that Yakumo started noticing the tears that were swelling inside her eyes. He knew it. He knew something was bothering her and he knew that it was something greater than the problem she had with her student. She sniffed before she bent her head down again. However, her hand never left his face. "Please tell me, Yakumo. Tell me why? Why did you marry me?"

He was completely taken aback and he had no idea where that question had even come from. Yakumo stayed silent as he felt her hands starting to quiver. Had she been filling her head with doubts the entire time? After everything they had been through, did she not trust his feelings for her? "Why do you ask something like that? What exactly is going through that head of yours?"

"I don't know anymore." She told him, pushing herself back a little more. She rubbed her eyes as she bent her head down, making her hair cover her eyes. "I just wanted to know. I wanted to hear what you had to say."

"It's getting pretty late." He suddenly interrupted her, changing topics before he checked the time on his watch. He wanted to stay there with her, but he had somewhere he needed be. Another small smile formed on his face before he placed his hands over her face. Then, he slowly bent down closer to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "I chose you. Isn't that enough?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Her lips curved into a smile after she nodded slowly. "Anyways, I need to get going. I'll probably be home late, so don't bother to wait for me. You seem tired enough as it is."

Yakumo turned around without looking at her since he knew he would turn back if he did. He hated leaving her like that, but there were things he had to do. As soon as he finished with his 'exorcism', he needed to do some private investigating concerning the student he had just seen. Aside from what she told him, there was something not right about him and it wasn't only his personal emotions getting in the way.

He wanted to know why the lingering spirit behind Kaoru Miyazaki was looking for revenge.

…


End file.
